{A senior official from Gavi Alliance, Dr. Karan Singh Sagan announced last week that new vaccines are set to be introduced in Rwanda. The official made these remarks during his visit to Rwanda and stated that the vaccines will be for non-communicable diseases such as hepatitis B.}
The official also commended Rwanda for utilizing resources effectively citing that achievement of vaccination coverage of 97 percent is very remarkable.
“We will work very closely with the Ministry to support the introduction of the new vaccines which are only available in the western world but many developing countries cannot afford them. Global Partners, Donors GAVI Alliance will help to introduce these new vaccines.”
Maurice Gatera, the Head of the vaccines preventable diseases department in RBC said that Rwanda has registered milestones as regards immunization coverage in the past 20 years which has impacted significantly on the reduction of preventable diseases and lowered mortality.
“The progress is clear. No Rwandan child has suffered from measles or polio for the last 21 years. With the introduction of vaccines against non-communicable diseases like hepatitis B among adults, we believe efforts to curb controllable diseases will rise,” Gatera noted.
Dr. Sagan pledged that Gavi will support Rwanda to rise from 97 percent vaccination coverage to 100 percent among children.
Rwanda is a very good performing country in the African region. The main challenge is how to maintain those vaccines.
The tour of the Senior /country officer of Gavi Alliance continued to other parts of the country including health centers to see firsthand Rwanda’s medical services to the citizens in relation to vaccination.
He also visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre in Gisozi.
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