Gavi CEO applauds Sierra Leone’s immunisation gains

Dr Sania Nishtar, Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, praised President Julius Maada Bio for his global leadership and unwavering commitment to immunisation during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit 2026 in Dubai on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Dr Nishtar thanked President Bio for his role in last year’s replenishment summit and announced that Gavi had raised $10 billion since the Brussels summit to support vaccine programs around the world.
Dr Nishtar praised Sierra Leone for its commitment to vaccine equity, sustainable health financing, and bolstering immunisation systems, highlighting the nation as a regional model. “Your country is a regional leader in immunisation. We owe you a lot of gratitude for all that you have done for GAVI. Thank you for your partnership,” she said, underscoring the importance of high-level political support for sustaining immunisation gains.
In return, President Bio expressed gratitude to Dr Nishtar and the Gavi Board for their ongoing cooperation, which he claimed has led to multimillion-dollar investments in Sierra Leone’s health sector. He emphasised that maintaining high routine immunisation coverage and controlling vaccine-preventable diseases have been made possible by Gavi’s ongoing support.
In terms of concrete results, President Bio cited increased routine immunisation rates, the introduction of new vaccines for children and adolescents, targeted investments in health infrastructure, and a strong national response to COVID-19 and Mpox. “As you are aware, Sierra Leone has successfully maintained over 90% coverage for the DTP3 vaccine, a key benchmark for regional health system performance,” he stated, emphasising that such coverage reflects both programmatic progress and community trust.
President Bio and Dr Nishtar talked about plans to strengthen their collaboration, such as the president’s intention to start a “300 Days of Activism” campaign that will prioritise the survival of mothers, newborns, and children. Both leaders reaffirmed their dedication to maintaining the momentum toward more robust health systems and fair access to vaccines throughout Sierra Leone and the surrounding area.