Mwenda Jason M, Mandomando Inácio, Worwui Archibald Kwame, Gacic-Dobo Marta, Katsande Reggis, Bwaka Ado Mpia, Messa Augusto, Kiulia Nicholas M, Massora Sergio, Garrine Marcelino, Weldegebriel Goitom G, Biey Joseph Nsiari-Muzeyi, Mitula Pamela, Wiysonge Charles Shey, Paluku Gilson, Mumba Mutale, Wanyoike Sarah Waithera, Impouma Benido
World Health Organization (WHO), Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo.
Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique; Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Ministério da Saúde, Marracuene, Maputo, Mozambique; ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation Towards Global Health, LA-REAL, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, UNL, Lisbon, Portugal.
Vaccine. 2025 Feb 27;48:126768. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.126768. Epub 2025 Jan 30.
Significant progress has been achieved in the introduction of rotavirus vaccines in the World Health Organization, African Region (WHO/AFR), with only 19% (9/47) of the countries yet to introduce the vaccines. Despite this achievement, a considerable number of eligible children in Africa still lack access to these lifesaving rotavirus vaccines.
We performed in-depth data exploration and analysis on the WHO/UNICEF rotavirus vaccine uptake estimates of vaccine coverage to document progress and estimated the number of children missing vaccination through under- or un-vaccination between 2012 and 2023.
Thirty-eight countries have introduced the vaccine in the national immunization programs and the vaccine coverage rates have increased from 5% to 61% between 2012 and 2023 in the WHO/AFR, compared to 11% to 55% at the global level. Coverage by sub-regions ranged from 48% in Central African countries to 73% in the Southeast sub-region in 2023. Vaccine coverage has been increasing every year, yet some countries reported a significant drop during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022) compared to the pre-pandemic (2019_or earlier) period. For instance, in Senegal, coverage declined from 94% to 70%; Namibia, 90% to 55%; Republic of Congo, 71% to 23 %; for 2019 and 2022, respectively. Four countries experienced a significant decline between 2021 and 2022. For instance, Botswana (85% to 65%), Kenya (95% to 23%), Zambia (87% to 32%), and Zimbabwe (86% to 55%); but coverage increased in 2023 (post-pandemic) in Kenya (71%), Senegal (83%), and Zambia (40%). The estimates of vaccinated children increased steadily over the years, reaching 23.5 million in 2023. However, 257.8 million children missed vaccination between 2012 and 2023, of which 18.5 million in 2022.
Although countries in the WHO/AFR have made significant progress in introducing rotavirus vaccines, reaching every eligible child remains a challenge; and more than half of children are missing the full benefit of protection against rotavirus diarrhoea. There is a need for accelerated actions and concerted efforts to reach missed children and support for the nine remaining countries to introduce the vaccine.
世界卫生组织非洲区域（WHO/AFR）在引入轮状病毒疫苗方面取得了重大进展，仅有19%（9/47）的国家尚未引入该疫苗。尽管取得了这一成就，但非洲仍有相当数量的符合条件的儿童无法获得这些挽救生命的轮状病毒疫苗。
我们对WHO/UNICEF轮状病毒疫苗接种率估计数据进行了深入的数据探索和分析，以记录进展情况，并估计了2012年至2023年期间因接种不足或未接种而错过疫苗接种的儿童数量。
38个国家已将该疫苗纳入国家免疫规划，2012年至2023年期间，WHO/AFR地区的疫苗接种率从5%提高到了61%，而全球水平则从11%提高到了55%。2023年，各次区域的接种率从中部非洲国家的48%到东南部次区域的73%不等。疫苗接种率逐年上升，但一些国家报告称，与疫情前（2019年或更早）时期相比，在2019冠状病毒病大流行期间（2020 - 2022年）接种率大幅下降。例如，在塞内加尔，接种率从94%降至70%；纳米比亚从90%降至55%；刚果共和国从71%降至23%；分别对应2019年和2022年。有4个国家在2021年至2022年期间接种率显著下降。例如，博茨瓦纳（从85%降至65%）、肯尼亚（从95%降至23%）、赞比亚（从87%降至32%）和津巴布韦（从86%降至55%）；但在2023年（疫情后），肯尼亚（71%）、塞内加尔（83%）和赞比亚（40%）的接种率有所上升。多年来，接种疫苗儿童的估计数量稳步增加，2023年达到2350万。然而，2012年至2023年期间有2.578亿儿童错过疫苗接种，其中2022年为1850万。
尽管WHO/AFR地区各国在引入轮状病毒疫苗方面取得了重大进展，但让每个符合条件的儿童都接种疫苗仍然是一项挑战；超过一半的儿童未能充分受益于轮状病毒腹泻的预防保护。需要加快行动并共同努力，以覆盖那些错过接种的儿童，并支持其余9个国家引入该疫苗。
