On May 15, 2023, the African Union Commission (AUC) and Gavi, the vaccine alliance, signed a Memorandum of Understanding “to increase access and accelerate the uptake of life-saving vaccines across African Union member states towards supporting immunisation, providing technical and learning assistance and health systems strengthening.” According to a statement by the African Union, the MoU was signed on behalf of the African Union Commission Chairperson by the AU Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs & Social Development (HHS) Amb. Minata Samate Cessouma and Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya, and Gavi Chief Executive Officer Dr. Seth Berkley.
The partnership builds on the historic Addis Declaration on Immunization (ADI) which is a pledge to ensure that everyone in Africa – regardless of who they are or where they live – receives the full benefits of immunization. It includes 10 commitments to increase political, financial and technical investments in immunization programs. These commitments are as follows: Keep universal access to immunization at the forefront of efforts to reduce child mortality; Increase and sustain domestic investments and funding allocations for immunization; Address the persistent barriers in vaccine and healthcare delivery systems, especially in the poorest, vulnerable and most marginalized communities; Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of immunization delivery systems as an integrated part of strong and sustainable primary health care systems; Attain and maintain high quality surveillance for targeted vaccine preventable diseases; Monitor progress towards achieving the goals of the global and regional immunization plans; Ensure polio legacy transition plans are in place; Develop a capacitated African research sector to enhance immunization implementation and uptake; Build broad political will for universal access to life-saving vaccines and Promote and invest in regional capacity for the development and production of vaccines.
Through the MoU, the AUC and Gavi have committed to work together to: 1) Scale up and strengthen routine immunization, focusing on reaching “zero dose” children – children that have not received a single dose of a routine vaccine; 2) Build sustainable regional vaccine manufacturing in Africa; 3) Undertake joint advocacy to boost vaccine demand for routine vaccines; 4) Strengthen primary health care systems and bolster diagnostic and surveillance capacity for diseases such as yellow fever, cholera, and typhoid; and 5) Communicate jointly on routine immunization, pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR), vaccine access and delivery.
The MoU is a timely intervention in ensuring that the vaccine impact is maximised in Africa. Amb. Minata Samate remarked: “Children of today are the leaders of tomorrow. Knowing they are prone to preventable life-threatening diseases, we – current leaders – must do all it takes to protect and secure their future. I am well-pleased with the growth of the partnership between the AUC and Gavi, which I am certain will accelerate reducing the number of zero-dose children worldwide by 2030”. “In September 2022, the African Union Commission and Africa CDC launched the New Public Health Order, which offers insights and a roadmap towards health security on the continent. The collaboration of the AUC and Gavi will further relate to Africa CDC-led initiatives for vaccine uptake in AU member states, as well as support investments in the goal to locally manufacture 60% of the vaccine doses required on the continent by 2040”, underscored the Director General, Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya.
“As an Alliance of governments, partners, civil society, industry and others, Gavi has a longstanding commitment to support access to life-saving vaccines through sustainable immunization programmes, and to collaborate with countries to strengthen health systems across Africa,” stated the CEO of Gavi, Dr. Seth Berkley, “This MoU is the strengthening of our shared determination to protect more children against vaccine-preventable diseases and to help realise the AU’s vision for sustainable vaccine manufacturing and the New Public Health Order on the continent”, noted the Gavi CEO Dr. Berkley.
