A delegation of MPs and Health Experts from Cameroon took active part in the Istanbul Parliamentary Forum held from April 15 to 16, 2025, and organized by the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) with support from GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance.
A few days after the Parliamentary Forum held in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, Members of Parliament in Cameroon and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) organized a press conference in Yaounde.
The press conference held on Tuesday 22nd of April 2025 was aimed at sharing best practices of the Parliamentary Forum in Istanbul and to reiterate calls to action for immunization financing in Cameroon.
Honorable Essomba Bengono Engelbert, Vice-President of the Committee in charge of Cultural, Social and Family Affairs at the National Assembly, alongside Honorable Ngo Issi Rolande Epse Mbock, member of the same committee, represented Cameroon at this high-level meeting.
The two MPs were accompanied by GHAI’s Country Coordinator, Dr. Ename Harmelle Epse Ekoman, and Mrs. Teguia Viviane, Head of Project Advocacy at the Support Service for Local Development Initiatives (SAILD).
Taking the floor to address media practitioners, Dr Ename Epse Ekoman started by underscoring some key benefits of vaccination. She outlined the crucial importance of vaccination for a human being.
Dr Ename Epse Ekoman stated: “Vaccination is one of the essential pillars of health security; it saves more lives than any other medical intervention.”
Speaking to the media at the presser, the MPs expressed their willingness to push forward talks with some top officials and their peers during upcoming sessions.
Honorable Essomba Bengono Engelbert said: “Vaccination is a public health issue, given the positive externalities that a vaccinated population, thus immunized against disease, provides to a country’s human capital. Talking about sovereignty of vaccination means first assessing, and then putting into perspective the country’s capacity to address disease prevention in its health system.”
The Vice-President of the Committee in charge of Cultural, Social, and Family Affairs at the National Assembly disclosed to the press the various initiatives undertaken so far to accentuate their advocacy for immunization financing.
Honorable Essomba Bengono said, apart from delivering a post-forum report to the Speaker of the National Assembly, they have initiated a series of conclaves with key officials.
On her part, female MP, Hon. Ngo Issi Rolande, said the government should set up some mechanisms that will help boost immunization coverage.
“The government of Cameroon must work to put in place appropriate mechanisms not only to guarantee optimal coverage for national vaccination, but also to work harder to enable Cameroon to control the vaccination chain, namely the production and efficient distribution of vaccines; this is very important. The Istanbul meeting provided us with a wealth of information and certain tools to conduct timely advocacy…”
As indicated by Honorable Ngo Issi Rolande, the Parliamentary Forum in Istanbul was an added value to the current actions carried out by their committee.
Thanks to this gathering, Cameroon has learnt from other countries, and with these best practices, the MPs are ready for a practical implementation with the government.
She added: “Sharing experiences helped us to understand how to address certain public health issues. For me, the vaccination law is a law that will resolve and regulate the problems Cameroon is experiencing in terms of vaccine sovereignty.”
The forum held from the 15th to the 16th of April, 2025, gathered a total of 21 Members of Parliament from Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Ghana, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Laos, and the Zambia.
The Istanbul gathering was aimed at fostering collaboration; sharing effective strategies, developing actionable plans, and establishing a parliamentary network dedicated to increasing political will and domestic resources for sustainable immunization financing. With many countries navigating Gavi transitions and the Alliance’s crucial 2026-2030 replenishment on the horizon, the timing couldn’t have been more critical.
According to the final release issued by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the forum culminated in the adoption of the Istanbul Parliamentary Call to Action for Immunization Financing – a declaration that outlines specific commitments and appeals to multiple stakeholders.
Parliamentarians called upon their governments to:
- Rapidly adopt policies to mobilize domestic resources for immunization and primary health care.
- Meet Gavi co-financing obligations, demonstrating commitment and ensuring program continuity.
- Establish transparent, sustainable long-term financing mechanisms for increased country ownership.
- Support high-quality regional vaccine manufacturing to strengthen supply resilience.
The Call to Action also urged international partners and donors to continue robust investment in immunization, including supporting Gavi’s ambitious goal to raise $9 billion for its 2026-2030 period. These funds are vital to protect 500 million more children, enable responses to 150 disease outbreaks, and support the introduction of new life-saving vaccines.
The GAVI press release also indicates that the 21 parliamentarians present at the forum constituted themselves into an Africa-Asia Parliamentary Network. This dedicated body aims to amplify advocacy for increased domestic health budgets, strengthen parliamentary oversight of immunization programs, and facilitate the sharing of best practices across continents.
Elise Kenimbeni
