Singapore: APEC member economies have developed a comprehensive 10-year strategy in a bid to support the region’s routine vaccination effort and enhance the resilience and sustainability of immunization programs in the region through 2030.
The health and economic crises has disrupted global routine immunization programs.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 23 million children missed out on basic childhood vaccines.
Another study found that 95 percent of economies in the Asia-Pacific region reported disruption to routine vaccination, with infancy and school-entry age vaccinations most impacted.
A vaccine task force was established last year, comprised of policymakers and private sector representatives, to work on vaccine-related issues, and to identify the best approach to immunization so member economies can better prevent infection and disease for all individuals.
"Vaccination is one of the world’s most important and cost-effective public health measures," said Dr Michelle McConnell, Planning Group Chair of the APEC Life Sciences Innovation Forum – one of the groups that spearheaded the strategy in a press release on Monday.
"While the priority now is to vaccinate as many people as possible against COVID, we still need to be able to provide robust immunization programs against other vaccine-preventable diseases so that COVID’s impact is not compounded by additional outbreaks," Dr McConnell added.
The APEC Action Plan on Vaccination across the Life-Course details key pillars for a successful immunization program and policy targets.
With a collective goal that by 2030, all 21 APEC member economies will have implemented resilient and sustainable life-course immunization programs to protect the health and well-being of all populations.
This will enable economies to achieve the WHO Immunization Agenda 2030.
"It has never been more apparent that vaccination is critical to the strength of our economies," said Dr Rebecca Sta Maria, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat.
"APEC has a unique role to play in supporting the region’s effective trade, regulation and investment in vaccines to protect our population, both in the midst of COVID-19 and far beyond," she added.
The APEC Life Science Innovation Forum in collaboration with the APEC Health Working Group will also host the virtual 11th High Level Meeting on Health and the Economy on August 24.
The Health Working Group also contributed to the development of this action plan.
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