Childhood vaccination rates in Yemen remain alarmingly low, according to a study published by Nature Portfolio website.
The study added that recent political developments have restricted vaccine delivery, by limiting population access to vaccinations through existing delivery modalities, including fixed and mobile services.
The authors of the study estimated that in 2023, 66.3% (3.57 million) of the Yemeni under-5 population lived within a 30-minute walk of a health facility or mobile site offering vaccinations, compared to 56.5% living within a 30-minute walk of a health facility alone.
The added that even with mobile contributions, they found substantial regional variation; in 13 of 22 governorates, more than one-third of children cannot access a vaccination site within 30 minutes.
The study concluded that using mobile teams improves geographic access to vaccinations in Yemen; however, significant access gaps will remain even with dedicated scale-up efforts.