Exploring Barriers to Immunization Coverage within a Sub-Saharan African Setting

Background In 2015, world leaders adopted 17 global goals (Sustainable Development Goal, SDG), committing their nations to eliminate poverty and human sufferings, protect the planet and enable all people, “irrespective of who they are and where they live”, to enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. The third goal (Goal #3) was designed to promote “good health and wellbeing” and the same leaders committed their nations to prioritize those who are further behind, including those residing in communities that are beyond the reach of conventional healthcare systems. Under the third goal, they pledged to put an end to preventable deaths among newborns and children, by committing to reduce neonatal and under-5 deaths to below 12 per 1,000 and 25 per 1,00 live births, respectively. To date, vaccines are undisputable tools that world leaders can leverage to help their countries reduce child mortality. While many countries have made great progress toward global immunization targets, others, particularly those in sub-Saharan African, are largely off-tract to achieving the targets defined by the global health community. Indeed, each year, many Expanded Program on immunization (EPI) fail to fully immunize 20 million children with basic pediatric vaccines. The systems also fail to reach 13 million children with a single immunization shot. This failure has led to an uneven distribution of the benefits of vaccination across and within many countries. In Cameroon, for instance, progress to reach these global targets have not only stalled but is slipping backwards. Indeed, coverage for the third dose of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus containing vaccine (DTP-3) has progressively declined, falling from 89% in 2013 to 79% in 2019. Similarly, the proportion of districts with a DTP-3 coverage of at least 80% has plummeted, declining from 88,69% in 2013 to 50,53% in 20193. This negative trend extends to all other antigens in the country’s immunization schedule, including BGC, Rotavirus, Pneumococcal and Measles combined vaccines. ...