WHO experts call for increase in immunization in Africa

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa

By Kemo Cham

[First published on www.politicosl.com] Vaccine preventable diseases are killing an unacceptably high number of people despite recent gains in immunization, a group of experts has warned.

The African Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (RITAG), which comprises immunization experts, said tangible actions were required to stem the tide of vaccine preventable diseases in the WHO African Region. They made the call in a statement at the end of a 2-day meeting last week in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. That forum discussed the state of immunization in the region.

RITAG is an outfit of the WHO regional office and serves as the principal advisory group to the Regional Director on regional immunization policies and programmes. The group said while Africa has realized tremendous gains in access to immunization in the last 15 years, progress has stagnated, with statistics showing that one in five African children were without access to life-saving vaccines.

“As a result, vaccine-preventable diseases still claim too many lives. Measles alone accounts for approximately 61,000 preventable deaths in the region every year,” the WHO Country office said in a press released copied to Politico.

Dr Awa Marie Coll-Seck, Senegal’s Minister of Health and Social Action, was cited in the statement saying that immunization was one of the most cost-effective public health interventions and that ensuring universal access to it could drive real progress towards the health related Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr Coll-Seck said in an opening statement at the Dakar meeting that despite the “good progress”, now was the time to up the game.

“Senegal is proud to have hosted this important meeting, aimed at ensuring that all children across Africa have access to the vaccines they need to survive and thrive,” she said.

Financing immunization has been a longstanding concern for Africa and it was at the center of the RITAG meeting.

The child diseases polio, measles, rubella and maternal and neonatal tetanus remain top priorities for eventual elimination in the region.

Earlier this year the outbreak of yellow fever in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo reemphasized the pressure faced by health authorities in the region.

These are well captured in the Addis Declaration on Immunization, an African Health Ministers’ pact which includes 10 commitments aimed at ensuring all children in Africa receive the full benefits of immunization.  

The Dakar RITAG meeting highlighted three key issues: the need to better understand drivers of stagnating progress in immunization coverage trend; Integration of immunization services into the broader health systems strengthening agenda; and the importance of increasing community-level engagement.

Dr Deo Nshimirimana, WHO Country Representative in Senegal, sees the possibility of progress in the coming years, but only with concerted effort.

“The conversations showed that we have all the tools to make sure every child in our countries has a healthy start in life,” he said.

RITAG presented a draft of recommendations geared towards advancing the immunization agenda in the region. The committee is expected to reconvene in six months to evaluate progress and reassess the recommendations.

“RITAG has discussed some of the biggest challenges – and opportunities – facing immunization programs across Africa, and we have developed a game plan that can take our collective efforts to the next level,” said RITAG Chair, Professor Helen Rees.

“I am confident that, together, we can make tremendous progress toward ensuring universal access to immunization in the coming years,” Rees added.

WHO warns of high rise in NCDs in Africa

By Kemo Cham

At the present rate of spread of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Africa, deaths from them are likely to surpass those from infectious diseases by 2030, a new research has revealed.

The research estimates that deaths from NCDs will reach 44 million within the next four years, representing an increase of 15 percent from 2010 figures.

The findings were the result of a World Health Organisation (WHO) funded research, conducted at national level, which sought to identify the main causes of the rising trend in NCDs in the Africa Region. It shows that these impending threats are predictable because most adults in Africa have at least one risk factor that increases their chances of developing a life threatening NCD, including heart disease, cancer, Type 2 diabetes, and chronic obstructive lung disease.

The prevalence of hypertension, otherwise known as high blood pressure, on the continent is said to be the highest all over the world.

32 countries were surveyed as part of the study, with data drawn from WHO Stepwise surveys and the Global School-based student health surveys in a select few countries.     

An estimated 46 percent of adults were found to be affected by hypertension, according to the report which also reveals that in at least half of the countries in the region, at least one in three adults were found to be hypertensive.

A WHO official described the high rates of hypertension as “worrisome”, noting that the disease was a ‘silent killer’ as most people are often unaware of their condition until it’s too late.

With hypertension, a patient’s heart is damaged, leading to heart attacks, congestive heart failure, and fatty buildup in the arteries, causing them to harden. It also can contribute to stroke, kidney damage and vision loss, among others.

Hypertension is however treatable through medication and change in lifestyles.  

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said while much of the world’s attention and resources have recently been directed toward the immediate threat posed by infectious diseases caused by emerging viruses like Zika and Ebola, it was equally important that focus was placed on NCDs as well.

“What this report serves to highlight…is that amidst these emergences we cannot lose sight of the enormous health dangers posed by non-communicable diseases, especially since many of these can be prevented through changes in behavior and lifestyle,” she said.

Tobacco and alcohol consumption, as well as poor dietary habit and lack of physical exercise are thought to be among the leading causes of NCDs. Among these tobacco is singled out among the top most health risks globally, accounting for over 70 percent of lung cancer, 40 percent of chronic lung diseases, and 10 percent of cardiovascular diseases.

Lack of adequate fruits and vegetables in the diet of Africans is responsible for about 14 percent of death from gastrointestinal cancer and about 10 percent of ischemic heart disease and stroke, according to WHO.

“While the consequences of such unhealthy diets are greatest in other WHO regions, Sub Saharan Africa paradoxically is the only WHO region suffering from the double burden of under-nutrition and obesity,” a WHO statement announcing the outcome of the study notes.

Experts say the rate of NCD rise can be halted through lifestyle changes, like quitting smoking, drinking in moderation, taking in adequate vegetables and fruits, as well as regular physical activities.