Journal of Clinical Immunology and Allergy

Successive introduction of four new vaccines in Rwanda: high coverage and rapid scale up of Rwanda's expanded immunization program from 2009 to 2013

European Congress on Vaccines & Vaccination and Gynecologic Oncology
October 26-27 ,2018 Budapest , Hungary

Maurice Gatera, Sunil Bhatt, Fidele Ngabo, Mathilde Utamuliza, Hassan Sibomana, Corine Karema, Cathy Mugeni, Cameron T Nutt, Sabin Nsanzimana, Claire M Wagner and Agnes Binagwaho

Rwanda Biomedical Center, Rwanda, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, USA, Ministry of Health, Rwanda, Partners in health, USA, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, USA, 6Harvard University, USA

Keynote: Journal of Clinical Immunology and Allergy

DOI: 10.21767/2471-304X-C2-004

Abstract

As the pace of vaccine uptake accelerates globally, also access to vaccines in many of the poorest countries has risen dramatically in recent years with improvements in health care delivery systems, the advantage of new funding, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and increased global connectivity partnerships with multilateral organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO), GAVI Alliance and UNICEF to launch and bolster nationallyowned and managed immunization programs significantly accelerated progress towards meeting the international targets for child survival. There is a need to document low-income country experiences with vaccine introductions. Over the course of five years, the government of Rwanda rolled out vaccines against pneumococcal, human papillomavirus, rotavirus, and measles and rubella, achieving over 90% coverage for each. To carry out these rollouts, Rwanda's Ministry of Health engaged in careful review of disease burden information and extensive, cross-sectorial planning at least one year before introducing each vaccine. Rwanda's local leaders, development partners, civil society organizations and widespread community health worker network were mobilized to support communication efforts. Community health workers were also used to confirm target population size. Support from GAVI/Alliance, UNICEF and WHO was used in combination with government funds to promote country ownership and collaboration. Vaccination was also combined with additional community-based health interventions which make uptake at higher immunization coverage for each. Other countries considering rapid consecutive or simultaneous rollouts of new vaccines may consider lessons from Rwanda's experience while tailoring the strategies used to local context.

Biography

Maurice Gatera is an Epidemiologist; he has worked as Director of the Vaccine Preventable Diseases Division of the Rwanda Ministry of Health, responsible for overseeing and coordinating all immunizations in Rwanda. He has supervised the rollout of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, human papillomavirus vaccine, rotavirus vaccine, and measles and rubella vaccine. He has been also a Member of the GAVI Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) Global Accelerated Vaccine Initiative HPV subteam. Prior to his position with the vaccine preventable diseases division, he was an Intelligence Surveillance Officer of Vaccine Preventable Diseases in Rwanda Ministry of Health, where he implemented an acute flaccid paralysis surveillance system, measles surveillance system, MN tetanus surveillance, pediatric bacterial meningitis surveillance, congenital rubella syndrome surveillance. He has extensive experience in leadership, research, program implementation, and monitoring and evaluation, having worked in immunization programs for 11 years. He has earned one Degree in Population Studies and another one in Public Health. He also received a Certificate in Vaccinology from the Regional Institute of Public Health in Ouidah, Benin. He has recently performed advanced course of vaccinology at Geneva University. He has a Masters’ in field Epidemiology and Laboratory from National University of Rwanda. He is currently a PhD candidate. He has published more than 8 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an Editorial Member.

E-mail: gamaurice2003@gmail.com