By Diana Munjuri and Chao Shete
Twelve-year-old *Nasra sits quietly in her wheelchair watching her agemates play in a narrow street in Mogadishu, Somalia. She was born a healthy child in their modest home, tucked within a war-torn town that has long struggled with conflict. For her mother, *Nasra’s birth was a long-awaited blessing after several heartbreaking miscarriages, but the joy was short-lived. At age four, *Nasra fell gravely ill. Her condition began with muscle weakness, followed by paralysis, drooling, and severe muscle wasting. By the time her mother could seek treatment, *Nasra was already bedridden—her vibrant energy drained by an illness that went untreated for far too long.
At the facility, *Nasra was diagnosed with polio and immediately put on treatment. Though the initial symptoms have subsided, the disease left her with a spinal deformity, a condition she is likely to have for the rest of her life as Polio is not curable; it can only be prevented through immunization. Had *Nasra received the polio vaccine before the age of five, she would never have contracted the disease. Polio is a highly contagious virus transmitted primarily through the fecal-oral route—via person-to-person contact or contaminated water and food.
In Kibera, one of the largest slums in Africa, Robert* was going about his business of hawking cutlery between tightly packed houses made of corrugated iron sheets, when he slipped on a banana peel. As he fell, his wrist was badly cut by a piece of rusty iron. He cleaned the wound with table salt, and once the bleeding stopped, he went back to work—he had a family to provide for as the sole breadwinner.
Two weeks later, he began having painful muscle spasms and a stiff neck that was progressive even after taking over-the-counter painkillers. By the time he was seeking treatment in the nearest government health facility, he was experiencing repeated painful, seizure-like spasms that lasted for several minutes. His neck arched, his legs became rigid, his arms were drawn up to the body, and his fists clenched, as well as sweating heavily. At the facility, he was diagnosed with tetanus and put on treatment immediately.
It has been eight months since Robert began treatment. His health has improved but he still receives regular jabs to manage lingering symptoms and complications of the disease. These days, he mostly stays indoors, coping with recurring pain and clinging to the hope of a full recovery.
Meanwhile, his children have stopped attending school due to a lack of fees, uniforms, and food. Robert* is lucky to be alive, as tetanus is a life-threatening disease. He would not have contracted the tetanus bacteria if he had gotten a tetanus shot within 10 years before or immediately after the injury.
This year’s World Immunization Week theme, “Immunization for All is Humanly Possible”, aims to continue the WHO-led “Humanly Possible” campaign with a future-forward lens focusing on the importance of ensuring more people like *Nasra and Robert* are vaccinated.
World Immunization Week 2025 aims to demonstrate that it is humanly possible to have fewer diseases and more lives if people – and their communities – protect themselves and their loved ones from vaccine-preventable diseases. The campaign seeks to encourage immunization and for governments to find pathways of improving vaccination uptake through strong immunization programs at local and national levels to deliver on the promise of immunization for all.
At APHRC, we continue to accelerate our efforts in line with this year’s theme of advancing immunization coverage and equity. While global vaccine coverage has plateaued—and in some cases declined—especially due to pandemic-related disruptions, this challenge underscores the urgent need to innovate around immunization data and equity. APHRC is addressing this through several initiatives aimed at leveling the playing field when it comes to vaccine access.
One such initiative is the Countdown to 2030 Immunization Study, which is working in partnership with Gavi to improve how 26 African countries use immunization data. The study supports country-level analytical capacity to assess and improve both coverage and equity in immunization. It produces annual reports using all available data sources, especially at subnational levels, to inform national, regional, and global (WUENIC) monitoring and decision-making.
We are also leading the HPV-IMPACT study in Liberia, Rwanda, and Senegal, focused on enhancing how countries measure HPV vaccination coverage and equity. This includes identifying optimal survey methodologies, validating administrative data, and testing innovative measurement tools. Supported by Gavi through November 2025, current work in Liberia and Rwanda will help set new standards for monitoring HPV vaccine programs.
In Kenya and Uganda, APHRC has partnered with health facilities in both rural and urban settings to pilot a “digital card” innovation. This electronic vaccination record system allows health providers and families to update and access immunization data more securely. The digital card enhances recordkeeping, particularly for caregivers in underserved areas, while also supporting real-time tracking of vaccine schedules and better integration of individual-level health data into broader health information systems.
Ultimately, achieving universal vaccine coverage requires us to rethink and retool the systems that support it. At APHRC, we are committed to leading this transformation—ensuring that no child is left behind.