India Halves Zero-Dose Rate, Sets Global Immunization Benchmark: UN

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 28th June: India has significantly reduced the percentage of zero-dose children—from 0.11% in 2023 to 0.06% in 2024—marking a pivotal milestone in global child health. The achievement, acknowledged by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) in its 2024 report, positions India as a global exemplar in universal immunization.

This remarkable progress is driven by India’s expansive Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), which now covers 12 vaccine-preventable diseases. The Ministry of Health has been proactively addressing coverage gaps, especially through campaigns like Mission Indradhanush, which has immunized 5.46 crore children and 1.32 crore pregnant women to date.

India’s commitment to strengthening child and maternal health is further reflected in the steep decline in key mortality indicators. As per the UN IGME 2024 report:

• Under-Five Mortality Rate declined by 78%, outperforming the global average of 61%.
• Neonatal Mortality Rate declined by 70%, compared to the global 54%.

Additionally, the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) now stands at 80 per lakh live births, an 86% reduction since 1990, as per the UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (UN-MMEIG), far surpassing the global decline of 48%.

The Zero Dose Implementation Plan 2024, covering 143 districts across 11 states, targets the most underserved regions—urban slums, hard-to-reach areas, and populations with vaccine hesitancy. Supported by innovations like the U-WIN platform for digital tracking and community outreach through mass media and grassroots workers, the initiative ensures that no child is left behind.

India’s antigen-wise vaccine coverage now surpasses global averages. The DTP-1 vaccine has a national coverage of 93%, outperforming nations with higher zero-dose burdens like Nigeria (70%), Sudan (1.45%), and DR Congo (0.82%).

Union Health Ministry officials emphasized that comparisons with countries with high zero-dose burdens must account for India’s vast population and wide-scale service delivery. Despite having an annual birth cohort larger than the total populations of many developed nations, India’s immunization performance remains at par with or better than several high-income countries.

India’s strategic interventions, such as National and Sub-National Immunization Days, Pulse Polio campaigns, and the launch of the Measles-Rubella campaign in 2025, are instrumental in sustaining its polio-free status since 2014 and advancing measles elimination goals.

Recognizing India’s achievements, the country was honoured with the Measles and Rubella Champion Award by a global partnership including WHO, UNICEF, and the American Red Cross in March 2024.

As India enters its Amrit Kaal, this public health success underlines the government’s commitment to last-mile delivery and universal access to life-saving vaccines, making the country a model for global health systems.