Navigating vaccine procurement and financing challenges in Cameroon: Insights and recommendations from a...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Systems Strengthening
• Vaccine Procurement and Financing

Background:

• Vaccine stockouts are a critical challenge to immunization coverage.
• Issues include funding delays, poor forecasting, and inefficient procurement.
• Understanding these barriers is vital for improving vaccine access, especially for zero-dose children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively assess the vaccine procurement and financing landscape in Cameroon.
• To identify barriers contributing to vaccine stockouts from 2015 to 2020.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive cross-sectional study utilizing a mixed-methods approach.
• Included a desk review of documents and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders.
• Data analyzed using Microsoft Excel 365 and Dedoose software.

Main Results:

• Vaccine procurement processes were complex with protracted timelines and multiple stakeholders.
• The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) faced a USD 4 million funding deficit (2016-2019).
• This resulted in delayed vaccine acquisition and 41 months of stockouts for at least one antigen.

Conclusions:

• Procurement and financing challenges significantly impact vaccine availability.
• Recommendations include optimizing resource allocation and streamlining processes.
• Establishing a joint procurement working group could reduce stockouts and improve vaccine coverage.