Topic: 2025 – Vaccine Access and Distribution
Country: Sierra Leone
Delegate Name: Cosmo Steffke
Sierra Leone, despite having an Expanded Programme on Immunization which provides free childhood vaccinations, still falls short of the global averages for vaccination coverage. Only 56% of children receive all essential vaccines, and measles coverage dropped to 78% in 2023 (UNICEF “Immunization Coverage”). Many rural townships on hard-to-reach roads, misinformation, and generational trauma from past outbreaks have made full coverage difficult.
The delegation of Sierra Leone affirms that vaccination remains a core part of national health and supports WHO’s Pandemic Agreement for fair vaccine access (WHO “Pandemic Agreement Draft”, along with the Immunization Agenda 2030, which emphasizes reaching communities with incomplete coverage.
Although vaccines are mostly available, low participation still remains one of Sierra Leone’s biggest challenges to distribution. About 35% of Sierra Leoneans live more than an hour from a medical facility, and only 48% of clinics have reliable cold-chain equipment (UNICEF Sierra Leone). To improve vaccination rates, the delegation of Sierra Leone supports a resolution encompassing community education programs, mobile health-worker outreach, possibly involving NGOs, and investments in vaccine technology like cold-chain storage to maximize efficacy in varying climates.
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