Post a comment 
Civil society health advocacy group, Health Alert Sierra Leone, has issued an urgent call for the government to immediately settle its outstanding GAVI co-financing obligations to avert a national vaccine stockout that could threaten the lives of thousands of children.
Speaking at a press briefing held on Friday 8th August 2025 at the organisation’s office on Blackhall Road, Executive Director Victor Lansana Koroma disclosed that Sierra Leone has until 31 August 2025 to pay the remaining US$721,807 of its 2025 co-financing commitment to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI).
Failure to do so, he warned, could lead to the suspension of vaccine supplies and a nationwide shortage lasting up to three months.
According to Health Alert, the government had pledged US$823,680 for vaccine procurement this year but has so far paid only US$101,873, covering the Penta vaccine.
The remaining balance is meant to fund essential vaccines such as Measles-Rubella (US$237,430), Rotavirus (US$85,065), Yellow Fever (US$57,399), Human Papillomavirus (US$14,708), Malaria (US$195,156), and Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (US$132,049).
“Once vaccines run out, it may take up to three months for new shipments to arrive, leaving children at risk of preventable illness and death,” Koroma stressed.
The warning comes despite recent high-profile commitments from President Julius Maada Bio, who met with GAVI’s CEO, Dr. Sania Nishtar, earlier this year in Brussels to reaffirm Sierra Leone’s dedication to immunisation financing. During the African Vaccination Week in Freetown, President Bio was also celebrated as a champion of child health by international health partners.
However, Health Alert says those commitments must now be matched with urgent action. The organisation, in partnership with WASH-Net and with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, is calling on:
The Ministry of Finance to immediately release the outstanding US$721,807.
The Ministry of Health to follow up with the Finance Ministry and the Accountant General to ensure prompt payment.
The Bank of Sierra Leone to process the funds swiftly for vaccine procurement.
Parliamentary Committees on Health and Finance to prioritise immunisation co-financing in the upcoming 2026 National Budget.
The public and media to hold all stakeholders accountable.
While acknowledging government efforts in improving health indicators, Koroma warned that progress remains fragile and gains in child survival could be reversed if the vaccine supply chain collapses.
Koroma concluded the briefing by quoting President Bio’s speech at the GAVI Global Summit in Brussels on 25 June 2025:
“Health through immunisation is not a privilege, it is a right. No child should be denied the protection that science provides, or die because a vaccine was not available. We must protect the gains we have made and push further.”
Health Alert has urged all stakeholders to act before the 31 August deadline, warning that the cost of inaction will be measured in lives lost.
