Trends in immunization coverage (Global and Regional)

DPT refers to the combined diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccine. The percentage of children receiving the third dose, DPT3, is an indicator of how well countries provide routine immunization.

 

Global coverage for DPT3 has slowly but steadily increased to 82 per cent in 2008, a remarkable improvement from 20 per cent in 1980

     

Source: WHO/UNICEF coverage estimates 1980–2008, July 2009.

Regional performance

While global coverage for DPT3 (three doses of the combined diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus vaccine) has been steadily climbing from 73 per cent in 2000 to 82 per cent in 2008, in the majority of the regions the coverage has either stayed flat or dropped slightly. Central Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Middle East and North Africa and the developed countries all enjoy relatively high levels of coverage that have shown little or no increase in the last two years. Latin America and South Asia both have experienced a decline in 2008, by 2 and 1 percentage points respectively. While the regional coverage level is high in Latin America at 90 per cent, South Asia's decline brings it to 71 per cent, making it the poorest performer out of all the regions.

 

On the other hand, East Asia was the driver of the global increase in coverage, having jumped from 89 per cent in 2007 to 92 per cent in 2008. Sub-Saharan Africa still lags behind but continues to make steady progress, with a coverage of 72 per cent estimated in 2008.