News

In 2025, cholera is spreading across 32 countries, causing thousands of deaths—even though the world has had the tools to fight this disease for more than a century.
 
As stated in a recent article by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, cholera thrives where poverty, conflict, and inequality persist—not because science has failed, but because political will has.
 
A cholera vaccine exists, but demand far outpaces supply. Zambia has taken action, building a cholera vaccine plant in Lusaka—a step toward regional vaccine self-sufficiency in Africa.
 
Cholera can be stopped—but only if we commit. Read more at the link in our story.

Vaccines keep surprising us.
 
A new study from @uflorida reveals something extraordinary: cancer patients who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine within 100 days of starting immunotherapy lived dramatically longer than those who didn’t.
 
Researchers found that the vaccine’s immune-activating power may act like a “flare,” reawakening the immune system and supercharging its cancer-fighting response. 
 
In advanced lung and skin cancers, survival nearly doubled for vaccinated patients—a result experts are calling revolutionary.
 
This discovery doesn’t just highlight the power of mRNA technology—it hints at the future: a universal, off-the-shelf cancer vaccine capable of enhancing immunotherapy.

Malaria now poses a greater threat than HIV or TB—funding shortfalls could lead to nearly 1M additional deaths by 2030.
 
3 out of 4 malaria victims are children. And the threat to their health is accelerating due to drug resistance, climate change, weakened health systems, and more. We have the tools—vaccines, bed nets, and more—but funding is needed to use them.
 
As @globalfund prepares for its replenishment, the message is clear: “If we fail to act, malaria could steal Africa’s children—and $83 billion of our future.”

@WHO recently launched version 2.0 of the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system—a hub for detecting and responding to potential threats, used by more than 110 Member States.
 
Recent health emergencies, like mpox and bird flu outbreaks, have demonstrated the importance of early detection to prevent global crises. 
 
With version 2.0 of EIOS, public health experts around the world have new and improved tools to identify any health threats.
 
Better data. Better decisions. #HealthForAll

The countdown to the official end of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has begun.
 
Despite the area’s fragile health systems, officials responded fast with the help of @WHO coordination. Over 35,000 close contacts and secondary contacts have been vaccinated since the outbreak was declared last month—a testament to the power of maximizing limited vaccine supplies for effective outbreak response.

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.