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Childhood routine jabs pick up after COVID backslide: UN

Routine childhood vaccination rates are improving globally after a decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, but significant gaps remain, with millions of children still missing out on vaccines, particularly in low-income countries, according to the United Nations.

While progress has been made, efforts to bridge the disparities in immunization coverage are necessary to protect children from preventable diseases.

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GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — Routine vaccination of children is picking up again after a dramatic drop during the COVID-19 crisis, the United Nations said Tuesday, warning that dangerous gaps remain.

Four million more children received routine childhood vaccines last year than in 2021, according to data published by the UN health and children’s agencies.

“That’s a good news story,” World Health Organization vaccine chief Kate O’Brien told AFP.

“On average, countries around the world are recovering and are immunising toward the level of immunisation that was achieved before the pandemic hit.”

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus agreed, describing the fresh data as “encouraging”.

He warned though that “global and regional averages don’t tell the whole story and mask severe and persistent inequities.”

“When countries and regions lag, children pay the price.”

Despite the progress, 20.5 million children missed out on one or more routine jabs in 2022.

That was down from 24.4 million a year earlier, but still well above the 18.4 million who missed out in 2019, before the pandemic hit.

O’Brien voiced concern the recovery was “very uneven”.

Dramatic improvements in vaccine coverage in populous countries like India and Indonesia had masked slower recovery and even continued declines in most low-income countries, the data showed.

The WHO and the UN children’s agency UNICEF voiced particular concern over lagging vaccination against measles — one of the world’s most infectious diseases.

Of the 73 countries that recorded substantial declines in measles vaccine coverage during the pandemic, 15 had by the end of last year recovered to pre-pandemic levels and 24 were on route to recovery.

But at the same time, 34 had stagnated or continued declining.

“Beneath the positive trend lies a grave warning,” UNICEF chief Catherine Russell said in the statement.

“Until more countries mend the gaps in routine immunisation coverage, children everywhere will remain at risk of contracting and dying from diseases we can prevent.”

Last year, 83 per cent of children received a first measles vaccine dose during their first year of life, up from 81 per cent coverage in 2021, but down from 86 percent before the pandemic.

The slow recovery was putting an additional 35.2 million children at risk of measles infections, according to Tuesday’s statement.

On a more positive note, vaccination coverage against the cancer-causing HPV virus surpassed pre-pandemic levels last year, although it still remained well below the 90 per cent target.

— AFP

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AFP

Singapore hangs 14th drug convict since last year

Singapore executed Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, convicted of drug trafficking, amid a resumption of executions in 2022. Another woman prisoner, Saridewi Djamani, faces execution.

Amnesty International urged Singapore to halt the executions, questioning the deterrent effect of the death penalty.

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26 July 2023

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SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE — Singapore on Wednesday hanged a local man convicted of drug trafficking, officials said, two days before the scheduled execution of the first woman prisoner in the city-state in nearly 20 years.

Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, convicted and sentenced to death in 2017 for trafficking “not less than 49.98 grams” (1.76 ounces) of heroin, was executed at Changi Prison, the Central Narcotics Bureau said in a statement.

The 57-year-old was the 14th convict sent to the gallows since the government resumed executions in March 2022 after a two-year pause during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hussain’s previous appeals against his conviction and sentence had been dismissed, and a petition for presidential clemency was also denied.

A woman drug convict, 45-year-old Saridewi Djamani, is scheduled to be hanged on Friday, according to the local rights group Transformative Justice Collective (TJC).

She was sentenced to death in 2018 for trafficking around 30 grams of heroin.

If carried out, Djamani would be the first woman executed in Singapore since 2004, when 36-year-old hairdresser Yen May Woen was hanged for drug trafficking, according to TJC activist Kokila Annamalai.

Singapore has some of the world’s toughest anti-drug laws — trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis or over 15 grams of heroin can result in the death penalty.

Rights watchdog Amnesty International on Tuesday urged Singapore to halt the executions, saying there was no evidence the death penalty acted as a deterrent to crime.

“It is unconscionable that authorities in Singapore continue to cruelly pursue more executions in the name of drug control,” Amnesty death penalty expert Chiara Sangiorgio said in a statement.

Singapore, however, insists that the death penalty has helped make it one of Asia’s safest countries.

Among those hanged since last year was Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, whose execution sparked a global outcry, including from the United Nations and British tycoon Richard Branson, because he was deemed to have a mental disability.

— AFP

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AFP

Singapore to execute first woman in nearly 20 years: rights groups

Singapore set to execute two drug convicts, including first woman in 20 years, despite rights groups’ calls to stop.

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25 July 2023

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SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE — Singapore is set to hang two drug convicts this week, including the first woman to be sent to the gallows in nearly 20 years, rights groups said Tuesday, while urging the executions be halted.

Local rights organisation Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) said a 56-year-old man convicted of trafficking 50 grams (1.76 ounces) of heroin is scheduled to be hanged on Wednesday at the Southeast Asian city-state’s Changi Prison.

A 45-year-old woman convict who TJC identified as Saridewi Djamani is also set to be sent to the gallows on Friday. She was sentenced to death in 2018 for trafficking around 30 grams of heroin.

If carried out, she would be the first woman to be executed in Singapore since 2004 when 36-year-old hairdresser Yen May Woen was hanged for drug trafficking, said TJC activist Kokila Annamalai.

TJC said the two prisoners are Singaporeans and their families have received notices setting the dates of their executions.

Prison officials have not answered emailed questions from AFP seeking confirmation.

Singapore imposes the death penalty for certain crimes, including murder and some forms of kidnapping.

It also has some of the world’s toughest anti-drug laws: trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis and 15 grams of heroin can result in the death penalty.

At least 13 people have been hanged so far since the government resumed executions following a two-year hiatus in place during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rights watchdog Amnesty International on Tuesday urged Singapore to halt the impending executions.

“It is unconscionable that authorities in Singapore continue to cruelly pursue more executions in the name of drug control,” Amnesty’s death penalty expert Chiara Sangiorgio said in a statement.

“There is no evidence that the death penalty has a unique deterrent effect or that it has any impact on the use and availability of drugs.

“As countries around the world do away with the death penalty and embrace drug policy reform, Singapore’s authorities are doing neither,” Sangiorgio added.

Singapore insists that the death penalty is an effective crime deterrent.

— AFP

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