Five African nations partner to eliminate zero-dose children

Five African nations—Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Djibouti, and The Gambia—have committed to a new regional framework aimed at strengthening immunisation systems and reaching "zero-dose" children. This agreement follows a benchmarking mission held in Dakar, Senegal, from September 29 to October 2, 2026, which brought together health officials and experts. Organized by Galien Africa and the Senegalese Ministry of Health, the initiative seeks to address the gap in routine vaccinations across the region through shared expertise and strategic planning.

During the Dakar mission, delegations explored several critical areas to improve health outcomes, focusing specifically on domestic financing, community engagement, and the digitalisation of vaccine distribution. By prioritising domestic funding, the participating countries aim to build more resilient health systems that are less dependent on international aid. Digitalisation was identified as a key driver for success, with plans to implement tracking systems that provide real-time data on vaccine coverage and help identify underserved populations more accurately.

The participating countries also highlighted the importance of community-led strategies to build trust and increase vaccine uptake. Discussions included the use of community vaccination sites and mobile health teams to reach nomadic or hard-to-access populations. Each nation proposed a national roadmap that adapts these successful practices to their local context, ensuring that the strategies are both culturally appropriate and logistically feasible. These roadmaps will serve as the foundation for the regional framework’s implementation.

The initiative marks a significant step toward regional cooperation in public health, establishing a platform for sustained action and mutual accountability. By creating a shared framework for monitoring and evaluation, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Djibouti, and The Gambia aim to track progress and refine their approaches over time. The ultimate goal of this mission is to ensure that every child receives life-saving immunisations, thereby reducing the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases across West and Central Africa.