Topic: 2025 – Vaccine Access and Distribution
Country: Iraq
Delegate Name: Tejas Karumudi
World Health Organization
Vaccine Access and Distribution
Republic of Iraq
Tejas Karumudi
Forest Hills Eastern High School
Vaccines are a major tool in the fight against infectious epidemics that claim millions of lives. Vaccines strengthen the immune response against infections, helping affected individuals develop less severe complications after an infection and preventing the rapid spread of infectious diseases. While developed countries are manufacturing thousands of vaccines to combat local epidemics, developing countries still face a disadvantage in acquiring proper access to vaccines. As of May 2023, developing countries in Africa had only 60 doses of COVID-19 vaccines per 100,000 people, while developed countries such as Australia had 250 doses of COVID-19 vaccines per 100,000 people. Developing countries lack the financial resources to manufacture vaccines, and citizens in developing countries are skeptical about the effectiveness and safety of vaccines. Therefore, developing countries develop more long-lasting complications from disease epidemics and pandemics than developed countries. Another major issue regarding vaccine access is the unequal distribution of vaccines in both developed and developing countries. Citizens who live in poorer areas due to socioeconomic factors experience challenges with vaccination due to improper allocation of vaccines by the federal government, while wealthier classes of people enjoy higher access to vaccines. This gap in vaccine distribution is more pronounced in developing countries, with only 5% of the population in Africa being vaccinated. Unequal distribution of vaccines can cause higher death rates in poorer populations, leading to population loss, major disruptions in the workforce (workers in blue-collar jobs comprise mostly of the poorer population), and economic issues. In response to problems with vaccine access and distribution, the World Health Organization passed a resolution in 2017 that focused on strengthening immunization in member countries and preventing the onset of infectious epidemics. Additionally, the World Health Organization created the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for 2023-2025 to help countries transition to long-term management of COVID-19 and coordinate public health response efforts in countries affected by monkeypox. Lastly, the World Health Organization endorsed the program Immunization Agenda 2030, which sought to achieve greater progress in vaccine access across the world, improve vaccine distribution to all groups of people, and assist countries in healing from the devastating effects of COVID-19.
Epidemics and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases still emerge in the Republic of Iraq due to the lack of vaccine access and improper vaccine distribution. Firstly, Iraq suffers from poor management of its cold chain, the temperature-controlled system for storing and transporting vaccines, which has reduced the uptake of the polio vaccine by Iraqi citizens. Secondly, poorer citizens from some remote areas do not have access to basic healthcare and vaccines for vaccine-preventable diseases. Lastly, some Iraqi citizens hold skeptical beliefs about the level of safety and effectiveness of vaccines, leading to lower rates of vaccination. Therefore, the lack of vaccination is a major issue in the Republic of Iraq, but the nation is actively implementing solutions to remedy this problem. For example, Iraq joined the COVAX Facility to receive vaccines for COVID-19 and other diseases, and Iraq acquired over 653 refrigerators from German donations to improve the storage of vaccines. Also, Iraq’s Ministry of Health launched a nationwide vaccination campaign in 2021 to increase the number of COVID-19 vaccinations. Through the campaign, Iraq’s Ministry of Health created more than 100 vaccination sites across the country, deployed more than 225 health professionals to administer vaccines in remote areas, and sent more than 1300 mobile outreach teams to transport vaccines directly to citizens in remote areas. Despite these progressive efforts, Iraq still faces fluctuations in vaccination rates. For instance, a decline in vaccination in 2025 contributed to a measles outbreak in Iraq. Therefore, Iraq needs continuous support from the WHO and other countries to provide funding for vaccination initiatives, medical resources (vaccines and storage systems), and guidance on managing vaccine-preventable diseases.
The Republic of Iraq encourages the WHO and member nations to strengthen efforts in improving vaccine access and distribution in all countries. Iraq strongly urges the international community to share vaccination equipment and knowledge about vaccines with all countries in order to create effective solutions that allow all humans to access vaccines at little or no cost. Also, Iraq would like to see the international community and the WHO provide continuous support and guidance to developing countries so that developing countries can reduce vaccine-preventable diseases through proper vaccination. In conclusion, the Republic of Iraq desires the collaboration of all countries that are part of the WHO in order to protect millions of lives from the destructive effects of vaccine-preventable diseases.
