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

Kathmandu, May 23: Minister for Health and Food Hygiene Nisha Mehta held discussions with a high-level team of the Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance on matters regarding the effective availability of vaccines in Nepal.     

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

She said that continuous cooperation and close coordination with Gavi is indispensable as Nepal’s public health expenditure is still limited to around five percent of the gross domestic production, 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 immunization 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)