Laetitia Bigger
Director, Vaccines Policy, IFPMA
Chronic diseases are on the rise. Vaccines can help reduce the impact on people, health systems and society. This year’s UN High-level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health provides an opportunity to maximise vaccine benefits.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, are the leading cause of ill health and death worldwide. Rising costs associated with long-term chronic diseases and ageing populations place mounting pressure on healthcare systems.
Vaccines reduce burden of chronic conditions
While vaccines are primarily used to prevent infectious diseases, they also have a critical role to play in reducing the burden of chronic conditions. This year, the UN General Assembly is set to agree on global efforts to tackle NCDs. This is an important opportunity to refocus attention on delivering cost-effective interventions to prevent, treat and control NCDs — including the role that vaccines can play.
Comprehensive adult immunisation
programmes can yield up to a 19 times
return on their investment for society.
Vaccines protect people, health systems and society
Effective immunisation campaigns can reduce the impact of NCDs on people living with these conditions and help build resilient, prevention-first health systems:
• Vaccines against diseases such as typhoid, diphtheria and Hepatitis A can prevent infections, reducing inflammation and protecting the brain from long-term damage and dementia.
• Vaccines can lower the risk of developing cancer. For instance, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is highly effective in preventing cervical cancer. Similarly, the Hepatitis B vaccine reduces liver cancer. Together, vaccination against HPV and Hepatitis B could prevent over 1 million cancer cases worldwide every year.1
• People living with chronic conditions are at higher risk of severe illness, hospitalisation and death from respiratory infections, such as Covid-19, influenza, pneumococcal disease and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Vaccines can help by reducing these risks. For example, influenza vaccination in people with cardiovascular diseases may reduce the risk of death by stroke by 50%, and from heart attack by 45%. I have provided below the sources for these stats.2
Cost-effective vaccines can ease pressures
Vaccines are also cost-effective. An analysis across 10 high and middle-income countries showed that comprehensive adult immunisation programmes can yield up to a 19 times return on their investment for society.3
Immunisation programmes that include vaccine recommendations for people living with chronic conditions can help prevent avoidable illness, complications and potentially irreversible chronic disease progression. They will also ease pressures on health systems, reducing hospitalisations, long-term medical interventions and loss of productivity.
[1] de Martel, C. et al. The Lancet Global Health, Volume 8, Issue 2, e180 – e190. Global burden of cancer attributable to infections in 2018: a worldwide incidence analysis.
[2] World Health Organization. 2022. Vaccines against influenza: WHO position paper – May 2022.
[3] Office of Health Economics. 2024. The Socio-Economic Value of Adult Immunisation Programmes.
