According to health authorities, the proportion of children under one year old who were not vaccinated increased from 12.1% in 2017 to 36.3% between January and April 2026, which means the number of infants who have received no vaccinations has tripled in less than a decade.
The Ministry of Health warns that this trend puts 'hundreds of thousands of infants at risk of contracting potentially fatal diseases.'
Vice-Director General of the Ministry, Nonhlanhla Fikile Ndlovu, explained to the France-Presse (AFP) agency that the main reason for the increase is lack of information. She emphasized that media coverage can play an important role in saving lives and combating disinformation on social networks.
Ndlovu added that anti-vaccination rhetoric intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the decline in vaccination coverage was observed even before that period.
The Ministry registered 3462 confirmed laboratory cases of measles since January 2026, significantly exceeding the 2756 confirmed cases recorded throughout 2025. Nonhlanhla Fikile Ndlovu called for increased awareness among young parents, as the new generation, having grown up in an era of rarity of such diseases, is now becoming parents.
According to health authorities, the majority of measles cases (70.9%) affect children under 14 years old and are directly linked to low vaccination rates. The Ministry stated that the drop in scheduled vaccination rates has triggered a public health emergency characterized by outbreaks of childhood diseases.
Furthermore, nearly 400 cases of rubella were recorded, as well as cases of pertussis and sporadic cases of diphtheria, which, according to the ministry, 'highlights gaps in booster vaccine coverage and disease surveillance.'