News

Tomorrow is #UNDay AND #WorldPolioDay.
 
Thanks to coordinated efforts led by the UN and its agencies, global polio cases have fallen by more than 99%—from an estimated 350,000 children paralyzed each year in 1988 to just dozens today.
 
This achievement underscores the power of global solidarity. But the fight to #endpolio isn’t over yet.
 
Stay tuned tomorrow to learn more about the fight against this deadly disease.

This week marks #WorldPolioDay and our call-in day! 
 
Even though things look different this year, it’s more important than ever that sure congressional offices hear from you, their constituents, about the importance of eradicating polio once and for all. Advocate for robust global immunization funding with other Shot@Life Champions TOMORROW, October 23. 📞
 
For step-by-step instructions and talking points, visit shotatlife.org/callscript

We’re not ready for the next pandemic. And drug resistance is making it worse.
 
At last week’s World Health Summit, @WHO launched a report that shows a shocking rise in antibiotic-resistant infections; 1 in 6 globally, and up to 1 in 3 in parts of South-East Asia and the Middle East.
 
The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board is calling for a real-time pandemic risk monitoring system that goes beyond health—tracking economic, environmental, and social vulnerabilities too.
 
Pandemic prevention isn’t just about stockpiling vaccines. It’s about building resilient, transparent systems across sectors and across borders.
 
It’s simple: prevention now or pay later. 🦠

Polio paralyzed dozens in Madagascar from 2020 to 2023, but nationwide vaccination campaigns led by the government and global health partners paid off; the outbreak was officially declared over in May of this year.
 
For over 30 years, the U.S. was a major health donor in Madagascar. Today, programs that once supported 20,000+ health workers are gone—and with them, critical systems for disease surveillance, data, and vaccine outreach.
 
The fight against polio is anything but easy. And hard-won gains are fragile; now is not the time to turn our backs on global health.
 
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

Even in the face of a government shutdown, our advocacy efforts continue.
 
Congress is continuing discussions around funding levels for the coming Fiscal Year, including for global immunization programs, so it remains crucial that they hear from you, our stellar advocates.
 
Now is the time to act. Fill out our latest petition using at shotatlife.org/petition, and reach out to champions@shotatlife.org if you’re interested in scheduling a meeting with your congressional offices.
 
Stay tuned for more updates on #MobilizetoImmunize.

Vaccinations have saved 17 million lives between 2021 and 2024 alone.

Last week, the World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization convened to assess the globe’s commitment to immunization.

And despite the roadblocks that persist—primarily geopolitical instability and shifting health architectures—there is hope in the fact that a vast majority of parents are strongly supportive of vaccines.

This year’s UN General Assembly felt a little different than year’s past; annual conversations about global health were underpinned by continued uncertainty. But even in the face of these challenges, progress was made in addressing some of the world’s most pressing issues. 
 
From the spotlight on noncommunicable diseases to the push for sustaining our progress against polio, global health was of utmost importance at #UNGA80.
 
Keep reading in our latest blog. #Linkinbio

Hospitals in Bangladesh are overwhelmed as dengue and chikungunya cases surge. 33,800 dengue cases alone this year, paired with the first surge in chikungunya since 2017, are a dual threat pushing health systems to the brink.
 
🦟 Both diseases are spread by the same mosquitoes and share similar symptoms, but treatments are very different. Misdiagnosis can be deadly.
 
Experts warn that overlapping outbreaks are generally becoming more frequent, driven by climate change, urbanization, and global travel.
 
Better surveillance, vaccines against dengue, and year-round mosquito control are crucial to tackle this growing crisis.

For nearly a decade, Rwanda had recorded steady declines in malaria.

But these gains are now under threat: in 2024 alone, malaria cases in Rwanda rose by more than 45%.

While Rwanda had previously opted out of receiving malaria vaccines during WHO`s and Gavi`s first distribution phase in 2023, health experts are now reconsidering—immunization could be key to bringing case counts back down.