Bharat’s Unique Population Dynamics Overlooked
The latest WHO and UNICEF estimates on national immunisation coverage have drawn criticism for not factoring in Bharat’s significantly larger population while comparing children’s vaccination data with 19 other countries. Official sources highlighted that Bharat’s immense population skews comparisons.
Commitment to Reducing Zero-Dose Children
Bharat remains dedicated to decreasing the number of zero-dose children despite the data. “Even though Bharat has the second highest zero-dose children globally, it represents just 0.11 per cent of the nation’s total population,” stated sources from the Union health ministry on Tuesday.
Reactions to the WUENIC Data
Responding to the WUENIC data released on Monday, which reported that Bharat had nearly 16 lakh zero-dose children in 2023, second only to Nigeria with 21 lakh, officials argued the comparison is flawed due to the disregard of population size.
Improvement from 2021 Rankings
Bharat’s ranking improved from 2021, when it recorded the highest number of zero-dose children globally at 27.3 lakh. Sources pointed out that India’s antigen-wise coverage surpassed the global average for all antigens in 2023.
DPT and MCV Coverage Superior to Global Averages
Bharat’s DPT1 proxy for zero-dose is at 93 per cent, higher than the global average of 89 per cent. Similarly, Bharat’s DPT3 proxy for under-vaccinated is 91 per cent, compared to the global 84 per cent average. The MCV1 coverage in Bharat stands at 92 per cent, exceeding the global average of 83 per cent. “Thus, Bharat is consistently better than the world average,” a source emphasised.
Special Zero-Dose Plan in Action
Efforts are ongoing to reach zero-dose children through a special zero-dose plan currently under implementation, the Health ministry sources noted.
Global Comparison Context
In the WUENIC data, countries such as Ethiopia, Congo, Sudan, Indonesia, and others follow India. These 20 nations were prioritised under the Immunisation Agenda 2030 based on their zero-dose children numbers in 2021. Among them, China ranks 18th, and Pakistan 10th.
WHO’s Call for Strengthened Efforts
The World Health Organisation has urged Southeast Asia countries to strengthen efforts, with tailored sub-national approaches to identify and immunise unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children.
