By Aggrey Baba
Hon. Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, Uganda’s Health Minister and Woman MP for Lira has called for stronger commitment from global partners as Uganda pushes for greater independence in financing and managing its immunization programmes.
Speaking at the Gavi Replenishment Summit in Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday, the Minister said Uganda has made remarkable progress in expanding access to vaccines, but warned that further advancement depends on continued support and a shift in the current global approach to vaccine production and funding.
Since 2002, Uganda has received more than USD 1 billion from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to support vaccine procurement, outreach programmes, and health system strengthening, a funding which has enabled Uganda to grow its routine immunization from just 6 vaccines to 14, with immunization services now offered free of charge in all parts of the country.
According to Aceng, this expansion has contributed to a significant reduction in child mortality, with under-five deaths dropping from 151 to 52 per 1,000 live births over the last 20 years, while infant mortality fell from 88 to 36.
In her remarks, the minister said these gains are now under threat if donor support to Gavi is reduced or if African countries are not given more control over vaccine manufacturing and distribution.
Uganda is currently rolling out the largest malaria vaccine programme in its history, launched in April this year. So far, over 307,000 children aged between 6 and 18 months have received the malaria vaccine.
The initiative targets areas with high malaria transmission and is expected to reduce severe illness among young children.
However, this campaign, like many others, relies heavily on the infrastructure and funding made possible through international partnerships, and Gavi has helped Uganda acquire refrigerated trucks, solar-powered fridges, vaccine storage facilities, and even boat ambulances to support vaccine delivery in remot areas.
In recent years, Uganda has started increasing its own contribution to vaccine financing. From $2.6 million in the 2021/22 financial year, the domestic funding rose to $8.1 million in 2024/25 and government now covers the entire cost of traditional vaccines.
Despite this progress, Uganda believes Africa must go further by investing in local vaccine production. Currently, less than 1% of vaccines used on the continent are made locally.
Dr. Aceng said this leaves countries exposed during global health emergencies, as was seen during the COVID-19 pandemic when wealthy nations prioritized their own people.
She added that Uganda is focusing on strategies like program-based budgeting, improved efficiency in health spending, and greater use of data to guide immunization planning.
The Minister also praised the support of Village Health Teams (VHTs), civil society groups, and community health workers who play a key role in encouraging vaccine uptake and fighting misinformation in villages.
As Gavi seeks new pledges from its international partners to continue its work through 2030, Uganda has appealed to donors not to withdraw support but instead deepen their commitments. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
