Where Children Are Left Unvaccinated

Access to vital vaccines to combat certain preventable diseases is still far from universal. While the vaccination rate against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, one of the main indicators of vaccine coverage, is close to 99 percent in most European countries, it remained below 70 percent in ten countries in 2023.

According to data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, North Korea, Papua New Guinea, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Sudan are the countries where the proportion of children not vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis was the highest. The situation was especially pronounced in the first two states, with North Korea and Papua New Guinea exhibiting vaccination rates against three of the most common preventable diseases of 41 and 45 percent, respectively.

As the WHO points out, more than half of unvaccinated children live in 31 countries currently in a situation of fragility, conflict, or vulnerability, where populations are particularly exposed to preventable diseases due to disruptions in and lack of access to health services.