The Issue

UNICEF has released a press release in which it warns that the broad success of immunization has been tempered by the rampant inequalities between rich and poor on a global scale, and will continue to be tempered if there is no intervention. In the press release, UNICEF states that through their programs they procured 2.5 billion doses of vaccines to children in nearly 100 countries worldwide in 2016, reaching almost half of the world's children under the age of five. While these statistics are glowing, and increased access to immunizations has dramatically lowered the death rate of children under the age of five from vaccine-preventable diseases, every year an estimated 19.4 million children (1 in 5 children) still miss out on full vaccinations, and 1.5 million children die of vaccine-preventable deaths. Dr. Robin Nandy, the UNICEF Chief of Immunization, lays the blame on poverty, social inequality and weak health systems, and warns that these alarming numbers are not just a rural problem, but an urban one as well. 

What We See
Nandy makes it clear that poverty stands in the way of successfully immunizing the globe, and the growing inequality between rich and poor is most noticeable in how health systems treat them. In countries where 80 per cent of the world's under-five child deaths occur, over half of the poorest children are not fully vaccinated, and globally, the poorest children are nearly twice as likely to die before the age of five as the richest. And while children in rural communities have limited access to resources, children living in overcrowded cities and slums are just as vulnerable. According to Nandy, "Overcrowding, poverty, poor hygiene and sanitation as well as inadequate nutrition and health care increase the risk of diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea and measles in these communities; diseases that are easily preventable with vaccines." As the urban population has overtaken the rural and will continue to grow, investment and focus on poor urban communities will be more important than ever, especially in Africa and Asia, where 1 in 4 people will live in urban poor communities by 2030. The problems that bog down the urban world are intertwined, and no one issue will go away without addressing the others. IHC Global believes that a just, inclusive and sustainable city must also be a healthy city, and urban areas cannot and will not thrive if a significant portion of its residents are living in fear of easily eradicated diseases. Progress in infrastructure, inclusivity and sanitation- especially considering how effective urban WASH has proven to be in reducing health inequalities- are just some of the components that will contribute to better urban health systems, and healthier, happier lives for all.

Read the full article here and the full UNICEF press release  here.

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