At the meeting, Dr. Huan, one of the 21-member Management Board, asked GAVI to continue supporting the Extended Immunisation Programme in Vietnam.

GAVI’s sponsorship for the programme in the 2002-2010 period has amounted to US$72 million so far, US$16 million of which was used to improve the Vietnamese medical staff’s capacity for upgrading the medical network at grassroots level, said Mr. Huan.

One of the problems facing the Extended Immunisation Programme in Vietnam as well as in other developing countries is the recurrence of some eliminated diseases such as poliomyelitis and measles.

In addition, the rate of vaccinated people, especially in remote areas, is not high due to the fact that some people died of sideeffects.

Despite the government’s efforts, Vietnam can now meet only 60 percent of the total cost needed for the programme, while many programmes sponsored by GAVI has expired.

The Vice Minister also asked GAVI to provide Vietnam with new vaccines against Hib, mumps, rubella, rota, as well as technical assistance to improve the effectiveness of the programme.