- this as Africa remains off track for 2030 goals
New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa shows Botswana is performing strongly in immunisation compared with much of the continent, even as Africa remains off track to meet most of its 2030 vaccination targets.
The numbers tell the story. Across the WHO African Region, vaccination saved an estimated 1.9 million lives in 2024 alone, with 85% of those deaths prevented linked to just five diseases: measles, hepatitis B, HPV, pertussis and yellow fever. The continent has also remained wild poliovirus-free since 2020, while 43 of 47 African countries have eliminated maternal and neonatal tetanus. Yet despite these gains, the region is off track for six of seven Immunization Agenda 2030 goals, underscoring a widening gap between progress and the targets needed to eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases.
Within this continental picture, Botswana stands out in the East and Southern Africa subregion, which the WHO classifies as a generally high-performing bloc. The country has maintained fewer than five measles and rubella cases per million people, placing it among nations nearing verification of elimination in the coming years. Botswana has also received technical support from the WHO Regional Office for Africa to strengthen measles surveillance and outbreak investigations, signalling a strong prevention-focused approach.
The wider subregion’s vaccination coverage highlights both progress and remaining gaps. In 2024, DTP3 vaccine coverage reached 80% and the first measles dose reached 78%, figures considered high for the continent but still below the 90–95% threshold required for elimination. The biggest long-term gain has been the second measles dose, which climbed from 6% coverage in 2000 to 63% in 2024, a dramatic rise that reflects sustained investment in routine immunisation.
However, the data also reveals the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of “zero-dose” children — those who have never received any vaccines — rose sharply between 2020 and 2022 after years of decline. These disruptions contributed to renewed outbreaks of cholera, measles and meningitis between 2022 and 2024, highlighting how quickly progress can reverse when routine vaccination falters. In response, African countries are now trying to reach more than 86 million children who missed essential vaccines during the pandemic.
The WHO says the foundation for recovery is taking shape, with 44 African countries now offering a second measles dose and 15 countries rolling out malaria vaccines. For Botswana, the challenge is to maintain high coverage and close remaining gaps as the region races toward 2030 targets. The data suggests the country is ahead of many of its peers, but the broader African picture shows that sustained investment and faster progress will be needed if the continent is to turn strong gains into long-term disease elimination.
