The World Must Not Turn Its Back on Vaccination

Why It Matters

Vaccination remains the highest‑return health investment, cutting child mortality and delivering $20‑$50 economic benefits per dollar spent. Failure to fund last‑mile delivery risks a resurgence of epidemic‑prone diseases and higher global health costs.

Key Takeaways

• Vaccination averts >150 million deaths in past 50 years
• Global health financing fell up to 40% since 2023
• Half of 14 million zero‑dose children live in conflict zones
• REACH program delivered >30 million doses, vaccinating >1 million children
• Every $1 immunization investment yields $20‑$50 economic return

Pulse Analysis

The momentum behind childhood immunization has stalled, and global‑health financing has slumped by as much as 40 % since 2023. This retreat comes at a time when half of the 14 million children who have never received a vaccine live in fragile, conflict‑affected settings, where mortality rates are three times higher than in stable regions. The World Health Assembly in Geneva now faces a stark choice: renew commitment to the most cost‑effective public‑health tool or accept widening gaps that fuel epidemic‑prone diseases, which now originate over 70 % of the time from these vulnerable areas.

The International Rescue Committee’s REACH initiative demonstrates that high‑impact delivery is possible even in war zones. Since 2022, REACH has administered more than 30 million doses across Chad, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, reaching over one million zero‑dose children at a cost of less than $2 per dose. The model hinges on community health workers and local partner coalitions that navigate terrain and build trust where governments cannot operate. This approach not only saves lives but also delivers a $20‑$50 return on every dollar invested, according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Policymakers must align funding with evidence, directing multiyear resources to the last‑mile delivery channels rather than merely purchasing vaccines. Scaling proven models like REACH offers the highest return on global‑health spending and mitigates the risk of cross‑border disease outbreaks. As Gavi’s financing pressures mount, a strategic shift toward supporting local delivery infrastructure can preserve the hard‑won gains of the past half‑century and protect millions of children from preventable death, reinforcing both moral and economic imperatives.