UNICEF calls for joint efforts on immunization in Solomon Islands
By Alfred Pagepitu
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on Solomon Islands citizens and communities to join efforts in ensuring no child or pregnant woman is left behind in its immunization campaign.
UNICEF Solomon Islands Chief of Office, Benjamin Grubb, made this statement during the World Immunization Week 2025 celebration in Honiara on Wednesday.
“Let us work together to overcome barriers, counter misinformation, and strengthen our health systems to provide equitable and sustained access to vaccines for all,” Grubb said.
He expressed gratitude on behalf of UNICEF to the nurses, health workers, supply teams, and community champions who bring vaccines to every village, family, and children.
“To our valued immunization donors, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Bank, the Australian Government, and other global partners, thank you. Your continued support makes this life-saving work possible here in the Solomon Islands.
“We thank you not only for your funding but also for your trust, partnership, and belief in the right of every child to survive and thrive.
“Together, we are proving that with collective will and community power, immunization for all is not just a dream, it is humanly possible,” he said.
Students who took part in the World Immunization Week 2025 celebration
He noted that in the Solomon Islands, UNICEF have seen firsthand the positive impact of strong immunization campaigns, such as the national measles and rubella campaign in 2019 and the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in 2022, which reached people across all provinces.
Despite the progress made, challenges remain as many children in the Solomon Islands continue to miss out on life-saving vaccines due to factors like geographic isolation, limited access to health services, and vaccine misinformation.
“Vaccines are among the most effective tools we have to protect our children and communities from preventable diseases,” Grubb said.
Today, immunization continues to prevent up to five million deaths annually, contributing to a 40 percent reduction in global infant mortality.
In the Solomon Islands, UNICEF’s collective commitment to immunization has achieved remarkable milestones, such as the eradication of poliomyelitis, measles, neonatal tetanus, and diphtheria.
[end]