By Kemo Kanyi
The Medical Research Council at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Thursday commemorated the world immunization week in the Gambia. The event stretches between the 24th and 30th of April 2024.
Dr. Eth Clarke, the lead vaccines and immunity theme, highlighted the achievements MRC registered during the cause of the research.
“One of the key topics this year is celebrating 50 years of the EPI vaccine program, which we actually know, not just in The Gambia. It’s not just that the children in the Gambia are getting their vaccines because of the work that’s been done in the Gambia, but they’re really children across the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa in many cases are now getting vaccines because of the research that has been done in the Gambia by the MRC working with the people in government,” he highlighted.
He further mentioned many other researches done by the MRC unit in the Gambia that’s benefitting children across the African continent.
“This is preventing preventable deaths from pneumonia, meningitis malaria, and recently polio and yellow fever. Lots of conditions, lots, and lots of vaccines that have been looked at first here in the Gambia are now being given to children across the entire continent. So that’s a huge achievement, and this is really why we’re here to celebrate the world immunization week to thank the people of the Gambia. To show appreciation to our collaboration with the government and other stakeholders and really celebrate the landmark achievements,” he revealed.
Dr. Fatoumata Dibba, representing the Ministry of Health, sent her ministry’s gratitude to the MRC for contributing to a significant decline in the infant and child mortality in the country in the past fifty years.
“Expansion and extension of vaccines and immunization services is one of the top priorities of the government of The Gambia. This helps bring health care services to the doorsteps of the people, especially the less privileged families. This requires opening outreach sites to ensure targets are met. There have been efforts to increase vaccination coverage through supplementary immunization activities,” she outlined.
Dr. Dibba assured government dedication to accepting medicines approved by the World Health Organization. She added that her ministry was willing to partner with the likes of MRC for improved medicine and immunization target meeting in the future.
