Speeches

Remarks by Charge d’Affaires Cheryl Jane Sim
Pneumococcal Vaccine Launch/World Malaria Day
Friday, April 24, 2009
Bugesera, Eastern Province


Honorable Minister Sezibera,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
All protocol observed:

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to  join you (here in Ruhuha Health Center) today to mark the debut of the pneumococcal vaccine in Rwanda. 

On behalf of the United States Government, we extend our congratulations to Rwanda for being the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to launch the use of this vaccine.  This important initiative will help protect Rwandan children from pneumonia, which is one of the leading causes of child mortality here and around the world.

By adopting and effectively using this new vaccine, the Government both demonstrates its commitment to improving healthcare nationwide and in making additional concrete progress in attaining the Millennium Development Goals. 

The U.S. government shares this commitment to the health of children, both globally and in Rwanda.  The U.S. donates $72 million annually to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization.  These funds are used to purchase pneumococcal and other vaccines for children in developing countries. 

We are especially pleased that we were able to facilitate the introduction of the pneumococcal vaccine here.  Since 2000, this vaccine has been used in the United States.   Based on our experience in the United States and in other countries, this vaccine will lead to lasting reductions in preventable illness and deaths among Rwandan children.  Having had pneumonia twice myself, I remember the anguish on my parents’ faces when they heard the diagnosis and recall vividly the massive doses of anti-biotics I took.  The development and use of this vaccine is truly a remarkable medical achievement.    

The United States Government is proud to be a part of this important initiative and partner with the Government of Rwanda, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

Because we as a government and a people deeply care about the lives and future of all children, we welcomed the opportunity to provide the Government of Rwanda with a cold room and the cold chain equipment necessary to properly store the vaccine to ensure its potency from the time it arrives in the country to the moment it is delivered to each child.

Finally, in recognition of World Malaria Day, I would like to take this occasion to recognize Rwanda’s remarkable progress in combating malaria – another disease with which I have personal experience. 

Over the last three years, the number of deaths due to malaria in Rwanda declined by more than half.  Because of this remarkable success, the Rwandan Ambassador in the United States and the Director of the Malaria Unit at TRAC-Plus were invited to appear before the U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill yesterday.  These representatives from the Rwandan government met key American policy-makers, donor representatives, and technical experts to impart their best practices and lessons learned to other malaria-endemic countries.  

The United States Government remains committed to supporting the Government of Rwanda in its effort to sustain its achievements.  And, we remain a steadfast partner in the Government’s efforts to improve the overall health of Rwandans. 

Thank you.

 

Rwandan Health Minister Dr Richard Sezibera giving a shot  to a baby to launch the vaccination

Mothers and babies waiting for vaccination