The Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry with Others
By Fatou Sillah
The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with international development partners, on Thursday launched the 2025 edition of Africa Vaccine Week at a ceremony held in Kotu, marking a renewed national commitment to expand access to life-saving immunization services.
Observed annually from April 24 to 30, Africa Vaccination Week is a continent-wide initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners. This year’s observance, themed “Immunization for All is Humanly Possible,” emphasizes the crucial role of vaccines in protecting lives and promoting equity in healthcare delivery.
The 2025 campaign holds special significance as it marks the halfway point of the global Immunization Agenda 2030, a landmark effort aimed at ensuring universal access to vaccines by the end of the decade. Officials underscored the need to accelerate progress in light of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed and widened existing gaps in vaccine coverage.
Speaking at the launch event, Lamin Dampha, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, reaffirmed the government’s pledge to ensure every child in The Gambia receives timely immunization.
“Vaccines are among humanity’s most transformative achievements,” Mr. Dampha said. “Since 1974, they have saved over 154 million lives—more than three million each year, or six lives every minute for five decades. In that same period, vaccination efforts have reduced infant mortality by 40 percent.”
WHO Representative to The Gambia, Dr. Nathan Nsubuga Bakyaita, praised the country’s continued progress in expanding immunization services and called on stakeholders to remain steadfast in their commitment.
“Vaccination is more than a routine health service—it is a lasting promise for every child,” Dr. Bakyaita said. “This promise is not aspirational; it is real and measurable in the lives it saves.”
Dr. Fatoumatta Dibba, Deputy Director of Health Services, expressed appreciation for the support of national and international partners and urged sustained collaboration to reach the most underserved communities.
“Immunization is a collective responsibility,” she said. “Only through joint action can we achieve our goal of universal vaccine coverage.”
Africa Vaccine Week 2025 serves as both a celebration of past successes and a call to action—to ensure that no one is left behind in the fight against preventable diseases.