A scientific doctor with a grasp’s stage in Public Health, Dr Annet Kisakye ran scientific wards in public and non-public hospitals in Kampala earlier than joining the World Health Group in 2001.
She started working as Uganda’s Immunization and Surveillance Officer, rising her portfolio over time to consist of a vary of vaccine preventable ailments and Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response. Dr Kisakye is moreover WHO’s focal person for introducing unusual vaccines in Uganda where she leads WHO’s COVID-19 response epidemiological crew and is performing lead for the Immunization Vaccine Division and Household and Reproductive Health cluster.
What are you most proud of?
One amongst my most intelligent moments used to be after I supported the introduction of the Ebola vaccine in Uganda in 2018. I was a Co-Foremost Investigator, supervising over 100 folks in this vast, urgent effort. This required the quick vaccination of 6805 at-possibility scientific examiners in 13 districts between November 2018 and September 2019.
We moreover needed to isolate and video show four scientific examiners on the border for symptoms of suspected Ebola virus disease, to stop doable transmission. All were already vaccinated, on the other hand it used to be mute a being concerned time for them. No person died or grew to develop into seriously ill, illustrating clearly that vaccines work and attach lives.
Teach us about your fresh feature
I’m spearheading WHO’s support to Uganda’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout. It’s great to be serving to be sure extra folks is no longer going to in finding seriously ill and die from COVID-19 through vaccination.
I present technical guidance on all areas of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, however moreover support other areas of the broader vaccination programme, unusual vaccine introductions, and routine immunization strengthening.
What are the ideal successes and challenges in Uganda’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout?
WHO helped Uganda produce its Nationwide Vaccine Deployment Idea mercurial and comprehensively. This allowed us to in finding our first batch of vaccines through COVAX in early March. Leveraging the classes learnt from rolling out Ebola vaccines helped to distribute COVID-19 vaccines throughout the nation, without a prime gaps, points, or delays.
The ideal challenges consist of the lack of operational funds for the deployment of vaccines, some vaccine hesitancy amongst scientific examiners, and the quick shelf lifetime of vaccines on arrival.
What drives your dedication to your work with WHO?
WHO will continuously lead within the discipline of global successfully being and place mandatory global standards and tricks, and I’m proud to be a chunk of that. The Triple Billion targets are moreover intelligent and own given me a push by system of my deliverables as I peek to wait on the inclined.