By Sahel Reporters – Abuja
The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) has taken the lead in a groundbreaking partnership aimed at improving child immunisation in Chad, signing a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with top global health organisations and the Chadian government.
In a statement issued Tuesday in Abuja by ADF’s spokesperson, Anthony Chiejina, the agreement brings together the Dangote Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GAVI – the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the Government of Chad.
Managing Director/CEO of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, Zouera Youssoufou, signed on behalf of the foundation, emphasizing the need for collaborative and sustained efforts to protect children’s health.
“This partnership is a powerful demonstration of what’s possible when governments, development agencies, and philanthropies unite. By strengthening immunisation systems and working toward polio eradication, we’re helping to build a healthier future for children in Chad,” she said.
The three-year initiative will expand immunisation coverage across all 13 provinces in Chad—an expansion of a previous 2019 MoU that focused on just three provinces. The effort will prioritize underserved and remote areas, while also mobilising technical expertise and funding to end residual poliovirus transmission, strengthen disease surveillance, improve vaccine supply chains, and train healthcare workers.
Community engagement will also be a major focus, using the Community Reorientation Women Network to generate demand for immunisation services and ensure long-term local capacity beyond the MoU’s timeline.
Chad’s Prime Minister, Allamaye Halina, and Minister of Public Health, Abdelmadjid Abderahim, signed the agreement on behalf of the government. Prime Minister Halina reaffirmed Chad’s commitment to eliminating preventable childhood diseases and achieving universal vaccine coverage.
Joining the event virtually from Geneva, GAVI CEO Sania Nishtar praised Chad’s progress under the earlier agreement, citing a significant reduction in zero-dose children—from 45% in 2017 to 16% in 2024.
Chris Elias, President of Global Development at the Gates Foundation, described the MoU as a key vehicle for delivering on Chad’s National Immunization Strategy (2025–2030), with the goal of raising Penta 3 vaccine coverage from 67% to 80%. He also announced a $3 million funding commitment from the Gates Foundation to support the MoU’s implementation and vaccine coverage assessments.
The agreement marks a major step forward in protecting children’s health and strengthening Chad’s healthcare system through collective global and local action.
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