EU, WHO cooperate to promote benefits of vaccines

ANKARA

The EU and the UN body on Thursday joined forces to accelerate global action to stop the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.

The European Commission and the World Health Organization (WHO) co-hosted the world's first Global Vaccination Summit in Brussels.

"It is inexcusable that in a world as developed as ours, there are still children dying of diseases that should have been eradicated long ago," Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, told the summit.

Vaccination already prevents 2-3 million deaths a year and could prevent a further 1.5 million if global vaccination coverage is improved, he said.

Juncker and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, called for an urgent intensification of efforts to stop the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles.

"After many years of progress, we are at a critical turning point. Measles is resurging, and 1 in 10 children continues to miss out on essential childhood vaccines," Ghebreyesus said.

ANKARA

The EU and the UN body on Thursday joined forces to accelerate global action to stop the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.

The European Commission and the World Health Organization (WHO) co-hosted the world's first Global Vaccination Summit in Brussels.

Vaccination already prevents 2-3 million deaths a year and could prevent a further 1.5 million if global vaccination coverage is improved, he said.

Juncker and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, called for an urgent intensification of efforts to stop the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles.

"After many years of progress, we are at a critical turning point. Measles is resurging, and 1 in 10 children continues to miss out on essential childhood vaccines," Ghebreyesus said.