Global Health Clinical Research Training Fellowship

Mapping the spatial clustering of delayed infant vaccinations in The Gambia: exploring the role of geographic access to immunisation service points

 The timeliness of routine childhood vaccinations in The Gambia: understanding the contribution geographic accessibility to immunisation service points.

The Gambian Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) is considered as highly successful. The programme has consistently maintained coverage of the third dose of Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTP3) above 95%, and has made substantial progress in achieving the WHO measles vaccination milestones. Nevertheless, studies in the Gambia have also shown that although overall vaccine coverage is high, there continue to be lack of timeliness of routine childhood vaccination. Vaccination timeliness matters, because immunisations that are received too early or are too closely spaced can significantly shorten the duration of protection, decrease overall levels of protection and even lead to complications due to interactions with immunity patterns. Vaccination timeliness also matters because at the age when infants are most vulnerable, delayed vaccination unnecessarily prolong their potential exposure to vaccine‐preventable diseases such as hepatitis B virus and measles. 

Biography

Dr Oghenebrume Wariri is a paediatrician with a public health background and currently working as Clinical Research Fellow at the MRC Unit the Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (MRCG at LSHTM). He completed his MB.BS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) degree from the University of Benin (Nigeria) in 2008, followed by a postgraduate clinical fellowship of the West African College of Physicians (Paediatric) attained after completion of five years of rigorous residency training in 2017. In addition to his clinical paediatric training, he has an MSc in Global Health (with distinction) from the University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom in 2016 funded by the extremely competitive British Chevening Scholarships awarded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. In 2021, he commenced his PhD in Epidemiology and Population Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, United Kingdom.