Health Minister Mehta holds discussions with high-level team of Gavi

Kathmandu: Minister for Health and Food Hygiene Nisha Mehta held discussions with a high-level team from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, on the effective availability of vaccines in Nepal.

In her discussions with a high-level team from Gavi on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, earlier today, she said that continued cooperation and collaboration with Gavi are indispensable to prevent any adverse impact on the vaccination programme during the transition period.

She said that continuous cooperation and close coordination with Gavi are indispensable, as Nepal’s public health expenditure remains limited to around five per cent of gross domestic product, according to Dr Sameer Kumar Adhikari, Joint Spokesperson of the Health Ministry.

Minister Mehta, however, stressed that Nepal should gradually increase its own domestic investment in vaccine procurement and eventually become self-sufficient.

During the meeting, both sides expressed commitment to ensuring equitable access to life-saving health services, including vaccination for all citizens even during the period of transition, and to further expand the partnership between Nepal and Gavi.

Gavi has been a key partner in Nepal’s national immunisation program since 2000. Minister Mehta mentioned that Gavi has played a significant technical and financial role in the successful expansion of HPV and other life-saving vaccines, including ‘rubella elimination’, which Nepal achieved by 2025.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate more than half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases.

RSS