Vaccination Success in Africa at Risk? Shocking US Aid Cuts and Iran War Could Cost Millions!

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — The World Health Organization (WHO) recently highlighted a significant yet troubling trend in vaccination efforts across Africa. While these programs have saved tens of millions of lives over the past two decades, the momentum is slowing in several nations, raising concerns about the potential fallout from cuts to United States aid. The WHO warns these reductions could leave millions of children vulnerable to preventable diseases.

With a population of 1.5 billion, Africa's health systems are grappling with increasing uncertainty. This anxiety is exacerbated by the U.S. pullback from global health funding under former President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy and by ongoing disruptions linked to the war in the Middle East, which are straining aid budgets and supply chains.

In its first comprehensive analysis of immunization across the continent, the WHO reported that more than 500 million children have benefited from routine vaccinations since 2000, preventing over 4 million deaths annually. Over the past 50 years, vaccines have saved more than 50 million lives in Africa, adding an estimated 60 years of life expectancy for each infant life saved during that time.

In 2024 alone, vaccines are projected to save nearly 2 million lives in Africa, marking key milestones such as the eradication of wild poliovirus in 2020, recognized as a historic achievement for the continent, and the elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus in most countries. Additionally, vaccines against malaria, a disease that claims the lives of over 400,000 individuals—primarily children under five—are now being introduced in 25 countries. WHO regional director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, called this development “a major scientific and public health breakthrough” during an online press briefing.

However, there is a stark contrast in vaccination progress across the region. Janabi cautioned that “progress is uneven and in some places really slowing,” especially after the COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of children who have never received any vaccines. Alarmingly, ten countries account for 80% of children who have not received any vaccinations, presenting what Janabi described as “a profound equity issue.”

“These immunization outcomes reflect very different realities,” stated Sania Nishtar, chief executive of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which partners with WHO to enhance vaccination efforts. “We have more work to do to ensure we are consistently able to reach children, even in the most fragile and remote contexts.”

Funding cuts since Trump’s return to the White House in 2025 have had devastating effects, according to Janabi. The U.S. withdrawal from WHO in January resulted in the loss of about 40% of the agency’s overseas development funding, prompting calls for African governments to increase domestic health financing to counteract the impact.

The ongoing U.S.-Iran war, which has disrupted supply chains and increased gas prices, poses additional challenges for a continent where many health facilities rely on generators. Adelheid Onyango, the WHO Africa director for health systems and services, noted that the agency has yet to quantify the war's impact on health services.

Health experts, including Shabir Madhi, a professor of vaccinology and dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand, identify funding as the “biggest threat” to Africa's immunization efforts as the U.S. and other Western donors tighten their financial support to poorer nations. Many countries reliant on aid have already experienced program cutbacks, leading to diminished access to basic health services, including clinics, trained health workers, and the cold-chain infrastructure essential for vaccination campaigns.

“It can’t be that we continue relying on the likes of Gavi Vaccine Alliance,” Madhi argued. “The Gavi Vaccine Alliance itself is already experiencing a financial crunch. What we need to start putting on the table is what percentage of the immunization program should be funded by countries to ensure that not just a few children are getting vaccinated.”

Without decisive action, the gains made in immunization could reverse, leaving millions of children at risk. This situation demands urgent attention from both African governments and international partners to secure the future of vaccination programs on the continent.