Doctor Jane Irene Nabakooza, the Ministry of Health's Technical Lead for Malaria Chemoprevention and Vaccines, says that despite the overriding consequences and disruptions to the implementation of various health programs caused by the USAID funding freeze, the rollout of malaria vaccination will proceed as scheduled.
The Ministry of Health has indicated that it will proceed with
the planned vaccination against Malaria despite the sudden freeze of funding from
the United States Agencies for International Development-USAID.
Despite the sudden freeze of funding from the United States
for International Development-USAID, the Ministry of Health has announced that
it will proceed with the planned vaccination program against Malaria.
The Ministry of Health planned to start administering the
novel R21 malaria vaccine to children under two years old to boost their immunity
against one of the most dangerous diseases contributing to their mortality.
According to the design, the vaccination is scheduled to begin
on April 01st this year, when inoculation will be administered
to children in four dosages; at six, seven, eight and eighteen months of age.
Doctor Jane Irene Nabakooza, the Ministry of Health's Technical Lead for Malaria Chemoprevention and Vaccines, says that despite the overriding consequences and disruptions to the implementation of various health programs caused by the USAID funding freeze, the rollout of malaria vaccination will proceed as scheduled.
Speaking to Uganda Radio Network on the sidelines of stakeholders’ engagement aimed at improving community vaccine adoption, Dr Nabakooza explained that the Ministry has planned to operate within the existing health services delivery structure to administer the vaccine to the intended beneficiaries.
She observes that because
the country had already been booked for at least 3 million malaria vaccine dosages
from the Global Vaccines Initiate-GAVI and other joint international partnerships,
the vaccination program may not be severely affected by the USAID funding
freeze.
“A decision was taken that we are not rolling out a mass campaign
as it has been with other vaccines, such as Yellow Fever, Measles and
Rubella, and Hepatitis B among others. We have planned to integrate the Malaria
vaccines in the routine children’s immunization schedule,” she said.
Her assurance comes shortly after various US-funded health programs
implementing partners that include among others Makere University and Uganda
Medical Association, raised alarm over the continuity of some critical programs
after the funds' suspension, announced in January.
(Luganda audio)
//Cue in:
“ekyo ekiriwo kati…..
Cue out; …..tetusobola
kosebwa.”//
As a long-term remedy, Dr Nabakooza indicates that Uganda is
counting on the prospective capacities the East African Community member states
are building to manufacture critical drugs and vaccines.
She is optimistic that the African countries are
gradually progressing in their vaccines and drugs scientific innovations, which
will eventually end the overdependence on the Western giants.
//Cue in: mu kitundutundu kya Africa…..
Cue out; ….nga mwemuli n’eryoggema.”//
For instance, according to the October 2024
report by the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health, the different
actors which include; the Africa Centres for Diseases and Control and Prevention-Africa
CDC, the Clinton Health Access Initiative-CHAI have so built some tremendous capacities
in Africa to locally manufacture at least 60 percent of Africa’s vaccine needs
by 2040
