Saima Wazed Urges Southeast Asia to Boost Child Vaccinations and Fight Cervical Cancer
New Delhi, India, August 21: The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on Southeast Asian countries to speed up efforts to vaccinate all children and protect adolescent girls from cervical cancer. Saima Wazed, the Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia, emphasized the need for a ‘big catch-up’ to vaccinate children who missed doses during the pandemic and to eliminate measles and rubella by 2026.
Speaking at the 15th Meeting of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (SEAR-ITAG), Wazed thanked experts, national program managers, and community workers for their efforts in the immunization program, which is celebrating its 50th year. She highlighted the region’s achievements, including the elimination of wild poliovirus transmission and maternal and neonatal tetanus, and the control of hepatitis B in six countries.
However, the region missed its 2023 target to eliminate measles and rubella. Recent data shows slow progress in immunization coverage, with nearly 2.7 million children not receiving any vaccines and another 0.6 million partially vaccinated in 2023. Wazed stressed the need to understand why these children were missed and to prioritize reaching them.
Wazed also called for innovative, locally impactful approaches and stronger political and social leadership to meet regional targets. She emphasized the importance of protecting adolescent girls with at least one dose of the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer.
The SEAR-ITAG meeting, held in New Delhi from August 20-23, aims to set regional immunization priorities and provide technical support to member states. Experts and program managers review progress on immunization coverage and related issues at this annual meeting.
Doubts Revealed
Saima Wazed -: Saima Wazed is a health expert and the Regional Director for the World Health Organization (WHO) in South-East Asia. She works to improve health policies and practices in the region.
Southeast Asia -: Southeast Asia is a region in Asia that includes countries like India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is known for its diverse cultures and large population.
Child Vaccinations -: Child vaccinations are shots given to children to protect them from diseases like measles, polio, and rubella. These vaccines help keep kids healthy and prevent the spread of illnesses.
Cervical Cancer -: Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus in women. It can be prevented with vaccines and regular health check-ups.
World Health Organization (WHO) -: The World Health Organization (WHO) is a global organization that works to improve health and fight diseases around the world. They provide guidelines and support to countries to help keep people healthy.
Pandemic -: A pandemic is a global outbreak of a disease that affects many people across different countries. The COVID-19 pandemic is an example of this.
Measles and Rubella -: Measles and rubella are contagious diseases that can cause serious health problems. Vaccines can prevent these diseases and protect children from getting sick.
Immunization Achievements -: Immunization achievements refer to the success in vaccinating people to protect them from diseases. This helps reduce the number of people getting sick and improves public health.
Innovative Approaches -: Innovative approaches are new and creative ways to solve problems. In this context, it means finding better methods to vaccinate children and fight diseases.
Stronger Leadership -: Stronger leadership means having leaders who are more effective and committed to achieving goals. In this case, it refers to leaders who can improve health policies and vaccination programs.