Sierra Leone’s Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation II, Hon. Madina Rahman is in Ethiopia attending the First Ministerial and Stakeholders Conference on Immunization in Africa, which commenced today (24th February, 2016) at the African Union Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa.
The overall objective of the two days Ministerial Conference is to foster country ownership for sustainable funding to achieve the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GAVP) goals while advocating for greater engagement with stakeholders for sustainable demand for immunization.
The meeting, which is being organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Offices for Africa and Eastern Mediterranean in collaboration with the African Union Commission is attended by Ministers of Health across the Continent and technical experts.
Other members on the Deputy Minister’s delegation included: Hon. Abdulia Daniel Sesay, Chairman Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Health; Sheik Abu Bakarr Conteh, Chairman Inter Religious Council of Sierra Leone; Dr. Dennis Marke, Programme Manager Child Health/Expanded Programme on Immunization in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and Dr. Clifford Kamara, Senior Programme Officer of SABIN Vaccine Institute.
It can be recalled that, the 65th Session of the World Health Assembly held in May 2012, adopted the GVAP, which urged Member States to implement the GVAP vision and strategies by improving each country’s performance of the Expanded Programme on Immunization. The mission of GAVP is to provide the full benefits of immunization to all people, regardless of where they were born, who they are, or where they live by 2020.
Abdul Karim Koroma
Information Attaché
Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone
Addis Ababa
