The African Union Commission, Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, wrapped up a pivotal three-day forum last week, setting the stage for an extensive partnership. This meeting followed the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding the groups signed in May 2023 to bolster vaccine access across the continent.
Gavi’s press release highlighted the commitment to enhancing vaccine availability and uptake among African Union nations by pooling resources, expertise, and networks. Senior leaders and technical specialists from the trio of organizations spearheaded focused sessions addressing key health challenges.
Key topics included creating sustainable immunization systems, targeting unreached children, fostering health workforce resilience, and surmounting accessibility barriers. Discussions also honed in on building public trust in vaccines, sparking demand, and steering immunization communication strategies.
Furthermore, the forum tackled goals for expanding vaccine production within Africa, streamlining regulatory processes, and bolstering disease surveillance capabilities.
According to a report by The Guardian, deliberations also touched on shaping Gavi’s upcoming five-year strategy, “Gavi 6.0,” for 2026–2030 and aligning efforts on pandemic readiness and response.
Dr. Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, the acting Deputy Director General of Africa CDC, and Gavi’s Pascal Barollier and Thabani Maphosa led the respective delegations.
Dr. Ouma emphasized the joint effort to enhance immunization outcomes across Africa quickly. “Our partnership underlines a shared dedication to advancing public health on the continent,” added Maphosa, reinforcing Gavi’s commitment to this collaborative endeavor.
