Sizeable between- and within-country inequalities in childhood immunization impair progress towards universal coverage of all persons with essential life-saving vaccines. Monitoring global trends in immunization inequalities helps to identify population subgroups that are less likely to benefit from vaccines and provides evidence for tracking progress on regional and global goals and informing equity-oriented interventions.
Over the past decade, WHO has produced a series of global analyses of inequalities in immunization, including a global report on the state of inequality in childhood immunization, published in 2016. A decade later, a recent article published in Vaccines provides a comprehensive global update on the state of within-country inequality in childhood immunization. State of inequality in childhood immunization: monitoring progress across low- and middle-income countries over the past decade assesses the latest situation of inequality and the change in inequality over time across up to 92 countries, areas and territories, for nine childhood immunization indicators (seven coverage indicators and two indicators of non-receipt of vaccines) by five dimensions of inequality (child sex, mother’s age, mother’s education, household economic status and place of residence). The article is accompanied by interactive visuals.
The webinar will feature a presentation of the key findings of the article and a panel discussion by subject matter experts from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and WHO.
Agenda
- Opening remarks - Alain Labrique, Director, Data, Digital Health, Analytics and AI, WHO
- Presentation of key findings - Anne Schlotheuber, Technical Officer, Health Inequality Monitoring team, WHO
- Panel discussion – Experts from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF, and WHO
- Closing remarks - Kate O'Brien, Director, Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, WHO
Moderator
Devaki Nambiar, Consultant, Health Inequality Monitoring team, WHO