MASERU, Lesotho: Lesotho’s efforts to strengthen its immunisation programme have received renewed support following a two week Gavi mission focused on assessing the country’s vaccination landscape and preparations for its proposed Gavi 6.0 application.
The mission was followed by a debriefing meeting involving Gavi’s Senior Country Manager (SCM), the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative, the UNICEF Assistant Representative and technical teams. The discussions centred on the realities of delivering immunisation services across Lesotho and the need for stronger cooperation between the Ministry of Health and its Alliance partners.
During the meeting, the Gavi Senior Country Manager presented key observations from the field mission and identified areas requiring greater support as Lesotho works to sustain vaccination gains.
Partners were urged to assist the Ministry of Health in three priority areas, including identifying opportunities to integrate health services amid reduced fiscal space, improving coordination and planning, and achieving greater efficiency in health financing.
The Gavi Senior Country Manager also commended the cooperation demonstrated by the Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF and other partners during the mission.
‘Our mission was highly successful, and we are confidence in the progress made towards Lesotho’s Gavi 6.0 application especially the importance of ensuring that the application is submitted on time and reflects the country’s priorities,’ Ms. Jonna said.
WHO Representative Dr Innocent Nuwagira welcomed the mission’s feedback and said the field engagements provided valuable insight into the challenges facing Lesotho’s immunisation programme.
Dr Nuwagira said the country’s vaccination needs should not be assessed solely according to its population size, pointing to Lesotho’s mountainous landscape and geographically dispersed communities as factors that make the delivery of essential health services more difficult.
He also encouraged Gavi’s Senior Management Team to visit Lesotho to gain a direct understanding of the conditions faced by health workers and communities, particularly in areas that are difficult to reach.
“We appreciate the feedback from the mission and the opportunity to understand the findings from the field. Lesotho may have a small population, but the geographical challenges we face in reaching communities require us to look beyond population size when considering resource allocation,” Dr Nuwagira noted.
The debriefing also gave the partners an opportunity to examine the mission’s findings and consider how joint efforts could improve immunisation planning, financing and service delivery.
Lesotho is currently preparing its proposed Gavi 6.0 application, which is intended to support the country’s immunisation programme and help sustain progress in reaching children across the country, including those living in hard to reach communities.
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