Dr Annet Kisakye Honoured for Transformative Work in Immunization

Kampala, Uganda– The Authorities of Uganda thru Ministry of Neatly being (MOH) has recognised Dr Annet Kisakye, the World Neatly being Organization (WHO) National Decent Officer (Routine Immunization) for her outstanding contributions to improving immunization services and products in Uganda. 

The award was introduced to Dr Kisakye by Dr Sania Nishtar, Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance on 19 November 2024 in Kampala. This was during the social gathering of fifty years of Uganda’s Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI).

With over 15 years of skills at WHO, Dr Kisakye has provided technical guidance and fortify to MOH in several areas including strengthening routine immunization, introducing recent vaccines, the polio eradication initiative, eliminating measles, strengthening surveillance, eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus including outbreak and pandemic response activities amongst others. Her work has without prolong contributed to preventing illness outbreaks and saving lives thru vaccination in the country.

Dr Kisakye performed a pivotal honest in a campaign to keep lives against Cholera infection when the country started vaccinating the other folks living in 13 hotspot districts as phase of the national integrated comprehensive cholera prevention and adjust idea 2017/18-2021/22. Since then, no outbreaks were registered in these districts. 

The recognition, according to Dr Kisakye, is a testomony to the collective efforts of many devoted individuals, partners, and communities dedicated to improving public effectively being. She feels inspired to continue striving for a extra match future for all Ugandans.

Dr Kisakye supported the roll out of the Ebola vaccine in Uganda in 2018. She was a co-Principal Investigator, supervising over 100 other folks in the substantial, pressing effort. This is in line with the existence route arrangement as stipulated in the Immunization Agenda 2030. The roll out required lickety-split vaccination of 6,805 at-possibility scientific experts in 13 districts between November 2018 and September 2019, racing against time to give protection against Ebola Zaire species before any importation.

“We furthermore had to isolate and tune four scientific experts on the border for signs of suspected Ebola virus illness, to finish ability transmission. All were already vaccinated, but it was aloof a worrying time for them. No one died or grew to change into significantly in unhappy health, illustrating clearly that vaccines work and keep lives,” says Dr Kisakye.

The recognition, according to Dr Kisakye, is a testomony to the collective efforts of many devoted individuals, partners, and communities dedicated to improving public effectively being. She feels inspired to continue striving for a extra match future for all Ugandans, particularly in this skills where vaccine hesitancy—a effectively-identified international possibility—is contributing to the resurgence of vaccine-preventable ailments reminiscent of measles. 

Dr Kisakye’s heart aches when she sees pretty one suffering from a vaccine-preventable illness, particularly when vaccines and these to administer them are readily on hand. She advocates for Innovations to vaccinate all eligible persons.

A scientific doctor with a master’s stage in public effectively being, Dr Annet Kisakye ran scientific wards in public and deepest hospitals in Kampala before joining WHO. She started working as Uganda’s Immunization and Surveillance Officer, expanding her portfolio over time to include a vary of vaccine preventable ailments and Integrated Illness Surveillance and Response. 

Congratulations to Dr Kisakye!

The WHO family proudly celebrates her richly deserved award, honouring the lots of contribution to the effectively being sector over the past twenty years and past.