According to the first-ever detailed analysis of immunisation targets, Africa remains off-track in the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases.
The report, “Towards Immunization Agenda 2030 targets: Two decades of immunization efforts in the WHO African Region”, () was published on April 15, 2026, by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
As with many health issues, the status of immunization in the WHO African Region is both complex and diverse, reflecting notable achievements alongside persistent challenges. Overall, the Region is currently off-track for six of the seven Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) impact goal targets. Coverage for four tracer vaccines remains below the 90 per cent target. In many Member States, national and subnational immunisation coverage rates have stagnated, and the Region continues to lag behind others in access to the vaccines.
The analysis covers the years from 2000 to 2024 which saw increased vaccination coverage in Africa as 44 countries introduced a second dose of measles-containing vaccine into routine programmes.
Vaccination efforts in the WHO African Region have made significant progress. Notable achievements include a substantial decline in measles-related deaths, with an estimated 19.5 million deaths averted since 2000. Nine countries reported consistently low measles incidence rates in 2023 and 2024, while in 2025, Cabo Verde, Mauritius and Seychelles became the first sub-Saharan African countries to achieve measles and rubella elimination status, the gold standard in protecting against both diseases. Meningitis deaths dropped by 39 per cent in 2019 compared to 2000. Maternal and neonatal tetanus has nearly been eliminated, and in a historic public health achievement, in 2020 the African Region was declared free of indigenous wild poliovirus following years of relentless work to protect every child from the virus.
Routine immunisation is recovering after COVID-19 disruptions, with over 117 million children vaccinated through campaigns between 2022 and 2023. Although the number of unvaccinated (zero-dose) children declined before the pandemic, it increased during COVID-19 and remains above global targets despite recent improvement. Many countries have introduced new vaccines, including those for rubella, human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV), and malaria.
Overall immunisation coverage has improved over time, but progress has slowed in recent years.
The Immunization Agenda 2030 aims for 90 per cent coverage of four key life-stage vaccines — the third dose of the diphtheria tetanus toxoid and pertussis vaccine (DTP3), the third dose of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV3), the second dose of the measles-containing vaccine (MCV2), and one dose of the HPV.
The progress for the two routine vaccines (DTP3 and PCV3), while relatively high, are well below the 90 per cent target and show limited improvement since 2019. Coverage for MCV2 and HPV1, as relatively new vaccines, show strong growth, but are also well below the target.
WHO and Gavi have called for continued investment and strong political commitment to sustain gains and protect future generations. They are working with governments to widen vaccination coverage as well as accelerate and scale up the introduction of new vaccines such as those for malaria and HPV.