Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Esther FOSSI
Published on 2024-03-28 10:35:52
The government and the private sector meet to discuss strengthening the National Vaccination Strategy.
Since yesterday, Wednesday, March 27, 2024, the two entities have been discussing health through vaccination. This meeting in Douala between the Ministry of Public Health and other stakeholders aims, in the short term, to engage the Private Sector, Civil Society, and partner administrations to support the country’s national vaccination strategy for the next five years.
This is so that Cameroon remains “A diverse country where every individual, wherever they are, regardless of their socio-economic status and gender, fully benefits from vaccines for their health and well-being throughout the life cycle.”
According to Célestin Tawamba, President of GECAM, despite the hardships faced by businesses due to the current economic situation, they are ready to support the national vaccination strategy.
“There are risks for the companies that will support you in this program. But the benefits of this support should not be perceived as privileges. And for that, he said, we must be able to work alongside each other as was the case in the fight against Covid-19.”
Indeed, the Cameroonian Government, aware of the impact of vaccination on reducing the mortality of children under five, and committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has made the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) one of its priority programs.
The overall objective of the EPI for the period 2020 – 2030 is to contribute to the reduction of morbidity and overall mortality in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals to which Cameroon has subscribed.
To achieve this, Cameroon, through the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), must first reduce inequalities in access to vaccines for vulnerable groups, especially zero-dose children. Next, increase and maintain optimal vaccine coverage for all antigens to contain epidemics. Finally, introduce additional vaccines into the program and expand the benefits of vaccination to adults.
This meeting between the government and the private sector highlights the importance of collaboration in ensuring that vaccination efforts are successful in Cameroon. It emphasizes the need for unity in order to achieve the common goal of improving public health and achieving sustainable development.
Read the original article(French) on Journal du Cameroun
