— As Liberia Ascents In Improve Health Status Ranking
IPNEWS: In September 2020, the Gavi Board approved resources from core funding to focus on urgent technical assistance (TA) needs for 92 AMC economies, with Liberia being one of the recipients.
Since then, the Ministry of Health coming back from huge criticisms in 2016, of unaccounted funds with the Global Funds to fight HIV & Tuberculosis.
At the moment, there seems to be greater improvement in the management of donor funds, especially resources for immunization.
This week, Gavi congratulates the Ministry of Health, Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), bringing an end to a cloudy era of wrong perception.
In a communication to EPI programme Manager, Dr. Adolphus Clarke, Dr Fatima Babiker Senior Country Manager for Liberia Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, thanked the Expanded Programme on Immunization, on Gavi for its commitment to strengthening Immunization services in Liberia.
Dr. Babiker, stated that Gavi is gratified by the outstanding achievements of the Extended Programme on Immunization (EPI), in close collaboration with UNICEF, WHO, and local partners in 2023.
He stated that the dedication and vision of the EPI and its partners have been key drivers in improving Liberia’s health services and demonstrating a commitment to the well-being of the population.
“Notable milestones reached in 2023, include successful applications that secured funding for (i) the introduction of the Malaria vaccine, (ii) the third wave of Covid-19 Delivery Support for C19 integration in routine immigration, and (iii) a much-needed Measles follow-up campaign.”
“We look forward to accompanying their implementation in 2024 and 2025. Most importantly, we would like to congratulate the EPI and its partners on the remarkable WUENIC results, namely the improvement of DTP 3 and MCV1 coverage to 78% and 79% respectively. This recovery to levels higher than pre-pandemic coverage is a strong indicator of the EPI’s determination to the continuously improve the health care system and to recovering routine immunization coverage in Liberia.”
“At the start of this new year, we would like to express our deep appreciation for your ongoing efforts and reassure you of the support of the Gavi Alliance in achieving the EPI’s objectives for the health sector. We are honoured to continue the close collaboration between the Gavi Alliance, its Secretariat, and the Government of Liberia.” Dr Fatima Babiker Senior Country Manager for Liberia mentioned.
Last month, January 23, 2023 – the Ministry of Health of Liberia, in collaboration with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), announced the arrival of 112,000 doses of the RTS,S malaria vaccine- the first ever in Liberia.
Studies have shown that children under five in Liberia experience high rates of malaria infection with a prevalence rate of 10%. The Malaria vaccine marks a significant milestone in the fight against malaria, a preventable mosquito-borne disease that kills a child under age 5 every minute in Africa.
“The arrival of this life-saving vaccine is a game changer in our fight against malaria,” said Adolphus Clarke, Director of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) at the Ministry of Health of Liberia. “We are committed to ensuring that every child in Liberia has access to this vaccine and is protected from this deadly disease.”
The RTS,S vaccine was piloted in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi since 2019 and has been shown to be safe and effective, reducing severe malaria by 30% and malaria deaths by 13%.
“This is a historic moment in the fight against malaria,” said Fatima Babiker, the Gavi Senior Country Manager for Liberia. “Gavi is proud to support the rollout of this life-saving vaccine to children in Liberia and across Africa. We are committed to working with our partners to ensure that every child has the chance to grow up healthy and free from malaria.”
WHO, UNICEF and Gavi are working closely with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders ahead of the rollout of the malaria vaccine. WHO is providing technical guidance primarily focusing on epidemiological analysis to determine priority districts for roll out of the currently available doses, integration of the vaccine in routine immunization to boost wider uptake by the target group, and vaccine administration support to the targeted counties and districts, while UNICEF is procuring and delivering the vaccine doses to the Ministry of Health.
“The arrival of the malaria vaccine in Liberia is a testament to the power of global collaboration,” said Dr. Clement Peter, WHO Liberia Representative. “WHO is committed to working with our partners to ensure that this vaccine reaches all children who need it.”
“This is a day of hope for millions of children in Africa,” said Amadou Cisse, UNICEF Representative ai. “UNICEF is proud to be part of this historic effort to bring the malaria vaccine to children in Liberia and across the continent. We are confident that this vaccine will save countless lives.”
The arrival of the malaria vaccine in Liberia is a major step forward in the fight against this deadly disease. With continued collaboration and support, the Government of Liberia will ensure that every child has the chance to grow up healthy and free from Malaria.
The Ministry of Health of Liberia plans to start vaccination in April 2024.
