(Prensa Latina) The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that 23 million children worldwide did not receive routine vaccines in 2020, the largest amount in over a decade, based on new data.
This increases the risk of preventable diseases such a smallpox and poliomyelitis, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference.
He pointed out that nonetheless five countries were able to introduce the human papilloma vaccine aimed at preventing cervix cancer, and another nine are planning to introduce it over the next six months.
Ghebreyesus also highlighted that the WHO launched in September a global roadmap geared towards defeating meningitis towards 2030, and pointed out a number of setbacks caused by Covid-19 to the efforts against the main infections.
In his words, estimates place at another 14 million malaria cases and 47 thousand deaths more in 2020 compared to 2019.
However, WHO certified China and Salvador as malaria-free this year, and another 25 are on their way to end the transmission by 2025.
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