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Armenia is among the countries that have made progress in the fight against infectious diseases and where comprehensive vaccination programs have been effectively implemented, Siddhartha Sankar Datta, Director of the World Health Organization's Armenia Office said during the “European Immunization Week 2025” event held in Aghveran.
He was participating in a discussion on immunization and vaccines organized for media representatives.
“Vaccination programs generally imply shared responsibility. That is why WHO is committed to cooperating with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia and the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC). In 2003–2004, when I was just starting my career in public health, I saw that in my homeland, India, there were still many polio cases. Meanwhile, in Armenia, not a single case of the disease has been recorded since 1995," Datta noted.
"This is an impeccable result, and it is encouraging to know that children here are protected from such a disease. This achievement has certainly been made possible through vaccinations," he added.
Datta pointed out that many young parents are completely unaware of what polio is because their children have never experienced it.
“The global immunization program was launched fifty years ago, when WHO, in cooperation with UNICEF and other international organizations, declared that vaccinations are a part of human rights. Every child, regardless of where they are born, has the right to receive the vaccines they need. Since the program's launch, 154 million lives have been saved from various diseases. This is not a small number, especially if we consider that one life is saved every six minutes thanks to vaccinations. Our hope is that in the future, we will no longer hear about diseases such as polio, diphtheria, tetanus, measles, or rubella,” said Datta.
He emphasized that vaccination is not only for children. Datta touched on a harsh reality in some countries, "children are not even named until they reach five years old, as parents are uncertain whether the child will survive disease."
“The vaccination program also includes adults. In Armenia, as in other countries, there is a vaccine that helps prevent cervical cancer. Thanks to it, women and girls are protected from this disease. In many countries, data shows that vaccination has nearly eradicated cervical cancer,” he said.
Datta acknowledged that people may have concerns or questions about vaccines, which he described as a natural part of the decision-making process. However, he stressed that the best way to prevent infectious diseases is through widespread vaccination, protecting more than 95 percent of the population. Vaccine hesitancy, he said, is not unique to Armenia; it is a global issue fueled by various fears.
He noted that the Covid-19 pandemic changed public discourse.
“During the pandemic, everyone was talking about vaccines, which was a positive shift from a public health perspective. The role of healthcare professionals, their awareness, and their assessments played an important role in building trust. That is why health systems must always be ready to provide clear answers to difficult questions,” Datta said.
He added that one of WHO’s core commitments is to facilitate collaboration between specialists from different countries to ensure that all questions are answered. “We live in a world flooded with information. Any parent can find content online, but it is critical to rely on competent and trustworthy sources,” he said, citing the Covid-19 experience as a vivid example.
“WHO conducted research across countries and confirmed that the most trusted source of information remains healthcare workers. Therefore, the efforts of the WHO Armenia Office and the Ministry of Health of Armenia are focused on enhancing the professional capacity of medical workers so they can provide accurate information. The second key source of information is the media.”
Datta also praised the Ministry of Health's efforts to strengthen cooperation with the media and expressed WHO’s support for these initiatives.
“We want all children in Armenia to receive the same type and quality of services, regardless of where they are born. Equal access to healthcare services is extremely important to us. We must remember that just because diseases like polio or diphtheria have not been reported in a long time doesn’t mean our work is done.”
“We must continue doing what we have done so far, that is to protect people through timely vaccination. It is a proven fact that vaccinations prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and ease the burden on healthcare systems. I believe that transparency and open dialogue among all stakeholders are essential to advancing the vaccination effort. With joint efforts, we can build a future where people in Armenia no longer even remember such diseases,” concluded the head of the WHO Armenia Office.