At launch of Gavi 5.0 immunisation programme: Gov’t assures of national vaccination coverage.

This was at the official launch of the Full Portfolio Planning, FPP, for a new and innovative five-year expanded vaccination programme, dubbed Gavi 5.0.

It was launched Wednesday, June 12, in Yaounde. This was at a ceremony presided over by the Secretary General, SG, of the Ministry of Public Health, Prof Louis Richard Njock, on behalf of Minister Manaouda Malachie.

Speaking at the launch, Prof Njock reiterated that the government is resolved to extend immunisation services to remote areas, so as to enable everyone, especially those in the grassroots who have sometimes been sidelined, the feel its impact. 

He expressed gratitude to the programme funders of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, and promised that necessary measures will be put in place to manage the resources well.

The Permanent Secretary of the Expanded Programme for Immunisation in Cameroon, Dr Shalom Tchokfe Ndoula, on his part, said it is thanks to Gavi that Cameroon has made commendable vaccination strides by succeeding to eliminate certain diseases, notably the elimination of neo-natal tetanus in 2012, elimination of the polio virus in 2020, controlled spread of rabies and yellow fever, among others.

Priority to grassroots communities

As explained by Tchokfe Ndoula, Gavi 5.0 prioritises investment in primary health through immunisation with focus on children in hard-to-reach areas.

“With this programme, we are going to focus more on those we call ‘the forgotten’, that is individuals who, for one reason or another, are unable to have basic services like vaccination, which is a principal part of health,” Ndoula said.

He added that the programme will cover everything. 

“We call it full portfolio because all the requirements needed and stages to be followed have been taken into consideration. We will organise capacity building workshops to train technical and financial teams to ensure that the resources are properly managed, to guarantee the programme’s success,” Ndoula added.

He continued that they will also invest in Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, that can easily reach out to interior populations.

“We have incorporated the civil society in this programme so that it stimulates community engagement and get positive feedback from local populations on the kind of immunisation they want, their worries and opinions as far as vaccination and primary healthcare are concerned. This, so that health workers can approach the different communities based on their wants and needs,” Ndoula noted. 

Enter Gavi official

The Director of Financial Portfolio at Gavi, Awinja Waneyo, thanked the government of Cameroon for all its efforts made to show it is ready to manage the assistance provided by Gavi.

“We have worked hard with our partners and government to make sure all systems are in place so that payments can be traced and audited. We are sure the government is able to manage its funding in the manner that is required so that funds are used for purposes that are intended,” Awinja stated.

On her part, the Resident Representative United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF Cameroon, Nadine Perrault, appreciated Gavi, one of UNICEF’s partners, for its determination in making sure communities are vaccinated, which helps save lives, especially those of children.

“This programme is important as it will further expand vaccination in the country, and help reinforce children’s health after the COVID-19 pandemic, where we witnessed a drop in vaccination campaigns,” Perrault added.

About Gavi

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, brings together public and private sectors with the shared goal of creating equal access to new and underused vaccines, and reaching zero dose children living in the world’s poorest countries. 

Support from Gavi helps vaccinate almost half of the world’s children against deadly and debilitating infectious diseases. 

Gavi support is catalytic and meant to be supplemental to domestic financing that assists countries to advance national immunisation plans and improve immunisation coverage and equity, in line with the principles of Primary Health care and in a sustainable way. 

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Issues No:3140 of Thursday June 13, 2024