Brazzaville – A CAD$ 30 million project in partnership with Canada’s Global Initiative for Vaccine Equity (CanGIVE) is set to significantly bolster targeted, equitable delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to high-risk communities across Africa.

Through World Health Organization (WHO), the Government of Canada will provide funding over two years to support the scale-up of vaccine delivery, specifically addressing people in hard-to-reach areas, while also strengthening health systems in the African region.

The project will prioritize efforts in seven CanGIVE countries: Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania, with flexibility to respond to emerging needs in the region in countries such as Cameroon, Malawi and The Gambia.

The funding is part of Canada’s signature CanGIVE initiative aimed at supporting vaccine delivery and reinforcing health systems in 12 countries, most of which are in Africa. Additional allocations announced in January brought the total value of the programme to CAD$ 275 million (US$ 205 million).

“Canada is proud to partner with the World Health Organization to advance COVID-19 vaccination efforts and build more resilient health systems in the African region. The opportunity before us now is to work together to apply what we have learned from the past three years so that we are, collectively, better prepared to face the health crises of the future,” stated Christopher Thornley, High Commissioner for Canada to the Republic of Kenya.

The project will be targeted to address vast inequities in access to vaccines, particularly for individuals in vulnerable situations, notably women and girls, as well as those living in hard-to-reach areas, or who have been impacted by humanitarian emergencies.

“This generous support from Canada will significantly advance our efforts to alleviate access and human rights-related challenges, by addressing the many inequities in service delivery through a targeted focus on community engagement,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti WHO Regional Director for Africa.

A two-day event from 16 February 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, kickstarted implementation plans, which will be tailored to country needs to ensure optimal, localized resource utilization.

To date, fewer than one in every three people in Africa has completed the primary vaccination series, with 35% receiving at least one dose. Only four countries have surpassed the 70% target for fully vaccinated populations in an environment where low case numbers, reduced risk perception and limited demand creation are impacting vaccine uptake.

WHO will work with UNICEF and other partners to coordinate implementation. Planned actions include more effective use of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Reporting tools and systems within countries to reinforce overall COVID-19 vaccine uptake and delivery response operations.

Importantly, the funding will also contribute to broader WHO efforts to accelerate the integration of COVID-19 vaccination into routine immunization services at primary healthcare level in communities and address gender-, equity- and human rights-related barriers to equitable service delivery at sub-national levels.