Full Breakdown
Record Immunisation Gains in Gavi-Supported Low-Income Countries in 2025
7/16/2026, 9:35:28 PM
2025 Coverage Milestones
In 2025, lower-income nations immunised a record 73 million children with vaccines supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Average first-dose diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP1) coverage rose to 88 %, matching pre-pandemic levels, while average third-dose DTP3 coverage reached 83 % across the 57 countries Gavi assists. Two-thirds of these nations achieved DTP3 rates of 80 % or higher, and the “breadth of protection” – average coverage across all Gavi-supported vaccines – climbed to 65 %, equal to the global average for the first time.
Background & Context
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) publish annual WHO/UNICEF Estimates of National Immunisation Coverage (WUENIC). Gavi, a public-private partnership that includes WHO and UNICEF as core members, analyses the 2025 WUENIC data for the 57 low- and lower-middle-income countries it supports. The partnership’s mandate is to vaccinate more than half of the world’s children, focusing on routine immunisation programmes.
Data & Statistics
- Children immunised: 73 million (record).
- DTP1 coverage: 88 % (up 1 percentage point, same as 2019).
- DTP3 coverage: 83 % average; 66 % in 12 fragile/conflict-affected countries, with Sudan improving by 32 percentage points.
- Zero-dose children: 9.5 million under-one-year-olds remained unvaccinated, a 640,000-child decline from 2024 and near pre-pandemic levels.
- Breadth of protection: 65 % across all Gavi-supported vaccines, a 16-point rise since 2019.
- HPV vaccine: 95 million girls protected (79 million in the past three years); coverage 29 % (global average 31 %).
- Malaria vaccine: Delivered in 25 African countries (?70 % of the global malaria burden); Ghana reported an 86 % drop in under-five malaria deaths (2019-2024), and Burkina Faso saw a 32 % decline in malaria cases (2024-2025).
- Measles vaccine: First-dose coverage steady at 80 %; second-dose (MCV2) rose to 72 % in 2025, leaving 15.6 million children without a first dose.
Why It Matters
Vaccines are among the most cost-effective health investments, preventing disease, safeguarding global health security, and generating hundreds of billions of socioeconomic benefits. Closing immunity gaps—particularly for measles and zero-dose children—remains essential to avoid outbreaks and achieve equity.
Official Statements & Responses
Gavi emphasises that 2025 was the final fully-funded year of its current strategic period. The Alliance warns that the upcoming 2026-2030 “Gavi 6.0” phase is not yet fully financed, jeopardising investments in malaria vaccine programmes, new hexavalent and multivalent meningitis vaccines, preventive campaigns, and global stockpiles. Gavi calls on sovereign and philanthropic donors to fund the next period and urges countries to increase domestic financing for immunisation.
Criticism & Opposition
The WHO and UNICEF have cautioned that funding shortfalls could reverse recent gains, noting fiscal pressures, geopolitical instability, disease outbreaks, rising birth cohorts, and vaccine hesitancy as growing challenges. Without adequate resources, countries may face difficult choices in prioritising immunisation programmes, risking a slide back toward pre-pandemic coverage levels.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
WUENIC does not yet incorporate malaria vaccine data, yet country reports claim substantial mortality reductions. Additionally, while global zero-dose estimates fell to 13.5 million in 2025, the share residing in Gavi-supported nations is 9.5 million, highlighting a discrepancy between global and regional reporting.
Verbatim Quotes
- “2025 was a record-setting year for the number of children protected: Lower-income countries immunised 73 million children with Gavi-supported vaccines – more than any other year in history,” — Gavi, Vaccine Alliance
- “QUOTE Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance “The historic levels of immunisation that we are seeing across lower income countries shows what can be achieved when all stakeholders work together towards a shared objective.” — Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO, Gavi
- “The biggest improvements were made in some of the most difficult contexts: On average DTP3 coverage in 12 countries* categorised as experiencing fragility and conflict rose by 5 percentage points in 2025 – and now stands at 66%.” — Gavi analysis
- “Immunisation must be prioritised as one of the most cost-effective investments in health, security and prosperity: Vaccines save lives, keep the world safe from outbreaks, and deliver hundreds of billions in socioeconomic benefits.” — Gavi
- “Sustained investment The Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, Sania Nishtar, said the record level of immunisation demonstrates what can be achieved when governments and partners work towards a common goal.” — Gavi spokesperson (Premium Times report)
- “Ghana reported that under-five malaria deaths in the country fell by 86% between 2019 and 2024.” — Ghana health report (Gavi briefing)
