Promotion of the national vaccination programme in cooperation with GAVI Alliance IV (bilateral contribution) (VPT)

completed

The project is a regional project. The proven project concept for promoting the Tanzanian vaccination program in cooperation with GAVI Alliance is being expanded to the East African Community of States (EAC). The project is thus a continuation of the bilateral contribution to the multilateral organization GAVI Alliance (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization). The aim of the project is to help reduce child mortality in the EAC and thus accelerate the achievement of MDG 4 in the region. Specifically, vaccinations are intended to prevent serious respiratory and diarrheal diseases, which are still among the main causes of death among children in the EAC. Since the burden of disease is particularly high in poor population groups, poor families in particular benefit from the measure. The reduction in cases of disease relieves the burden on households (especially mothers) and health systems. The project is being carried out in cooperation with GAVI Alliance and supports the national vaccination programs (Expanded Programs of Immunization, EPI). The vaccines will therefore be administered to newborns (up to one year of age) in public and private health facilities as part of the long-established national routine vaccination programs. Implementing the project via the EAC offers the decisive advantage of a regional platform with great political commitment to coordinating and mutually strengthening the vaccination programs of the EAC states. A particular focus here is on improving the supply chain from ordering the vaccine to vaccination. The core of the project concept of the previous projects remains the same (vaccine procurement via GAVI/UNICEF and vaccination via national health systems) and will be expanded regionally to the EAC. FC budget funds of EUR 20 million are earmarked for the proposed FC project to support the EAC vaccination programs.