Despite attempts at improving vaccination dosages, South Africa still has one of the highest rates globally of unvaccinated children.

The WHO estimates that, in 2014, nearly 19 million infants worldwide did not receive routine vaccinations, including DTP3 (diptheria-tetanus-pertussis immunisation). More than 60% of these children live across 10 countries, with South Africa being one of them. The other African territories are the DRC, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Uganda.

However, according to a Mail & Guardian Africa report, while some African nations haven’t progressed as much as others, child fatalities dropped by 55% between 1990 and 2012 – largely due to vaccines. Since 2000, there has also been an 86% reduction in measles-related deaths, and last August, Africa had gone a full year without a single reported case of wild (or naturally occurring) polio.

23 February 2016
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