President Yoweri Museveni has reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to supporting Gavi programs by pledging to meet the country’s 20% co-financing obligation for vaccines. He, however, called on line ministries and local governments to intensify public sensitization on nutrition, noting that 7% of annual deaths in Uganda result from non-communicable diseases.
“Without international support, we would have to do it ourselves, which would mean diverting resources from other critical sectors like roads and infrastructure. You have liberated our resources to focus on other priorities,” Museveni said.
He made the remarks on Monday during a meeting with Dr. Sania Nishtar, the CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and her team from the Gavi Secretariat in Geneva. The discussions focused on challenges affecting child immunization and strategies to enhance the program.
The President expressed gratitude to Gavi and its donors for strengthening Uganda’s health sector, enabling the government to redirect its resources toward other key areas of development.
In her remarks, Dr. Nishtar commended Uganda for its strong partnership with Gavi and the effective utilization of vaccines, which she said safeguards future generations.
“As far as immunization is concerned, Uganda stands out as one of the few East African countries with high life expectancy, thanks to the effective control of disease outbreaks,” Dr. Nishtar said.
She also announced that Uganda is set to become the first country in the world to launch the largest malaria program. “This is a remarkable milestone that should make Ugandans proud,” she added.