Istanbul, Türkiye – A high-level Liberian delegation comprising five Members of Parliament and key civil society leaders participated in a landmark parliamentary forum on “Catalyzing Parliamentary Leadership for Immunization Financing,” held from April 15–16, 2025, in Istanbul, Türkiye.
The Liberian delegation included: Senator Dabah M. Varplilah, Senate Chair on Health, Rep. Julie Fatorma Wiah, Chair, House Committee on Health, Rep. Prescilla A. Cooper, Member, House Committee on Health, Rep. Rugie Y. Barry, Co-Chair, House Committee on Gender, Rep. Marie G. Johnson, Member, House Committee on Health, Madam Joyce L. Kilikpo, Executive Director, Public Health Initiatives Liberia (PHIL), and Mr. Emmanuel Tieh Delamy, Country Coordinator -Liberia, Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI).
The forum, hosted by the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), brought together Parliamentarians and civil society organizations (CSOs) from across Africa and Asia. Participants shared best practices, discussed sustainable immunization financing, and developed joint action plans to mobilize domestic resources for primary health care (PHC) and immunization programs.
Key Objectives of the Forum Included: Facilitating peer learning among parliamentarians to increase political will for immunization financing, sharing CSO engagement strategies and challenges, developing country-specific joint action plans, and establishing a regional parliamentary network to support domestic resource mobilization.
The forum highlighted panel discussions, Liberian MPs contributed to topics such as the role of Parliament in health financing, sustainable policy mechanisms for immunization, and coalition-building among lawmakers. The forum culminated in the signing of the Istanbul Parliamentary Call to Action for Immunization Financing, a unified commitment endorsed by parliamentarians from nine African countries (Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zambia) and Lao People’s Democratic Republic from Asia.
The Call to Action reaffirms commitments to international frameworks, including Addis Declaration on Immunization, Immunization Agenda 2030, Abidjan Health Ministers’ Declaration (July 2024), ASEAN Health Ministers’ Pledge (August 2024), Gavi co-financing and transition mechanisms. Immunization Financing Challenges in Liberia: Liberia’s immunization program remains heavily reliant on external donors, including Gavi, the Global Fund, and USAID.
According to the 2025 National Health Budget, less than 10% is allocated to immunization—posing a serious risk to the program’s sustainability. As of 2022, the government was contributing only about 10% of the needed funds, while donor partners covered the rest, including 98% of salaries for National Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) staff.
Coverage indicators also highlight persistent gaps: DTP3 coverage: 70%, Measles coverage: 68% (DHS 2019-20), Under-5 mortality: 93 per 1,000 live births, PHC access remains especially limited in rural areas. While Liberia’s National Health Policy and Strategic Plan (2022–2030) emphasizes universal health coverage and child survival through immunization, implementation is still largely donor dependent, requiring stronger political and financial commitment.
The Liberian delegation outlined the following concert priority actions to follow up on the Istanbul Call to Action: Briefing of Parliamentary Health Committees on outcomes from the forum to build budget support, Establishment of a Parliamentary Coalition on Domestic Resource Mobilization for Immunization, conducting a national Immunization & PHC Financing Gap Analysis, and Convene stakeholder consultations to strategize increased domestic funding for immunization.
At the close of the forum, Senator Dabah M. Varplilah read and officially signed The Istanbul Parliamentary Call to Action, affirming Liberia’s commitment to ensuring the long-term sustainability of immunization financing.
The Call-to-Action urges: Governments to prioritize domestic resource mobilization for immunization and PHC; Continued government commitment to Gavi co-financing obligations and the creation of transparent financing mechanisms; Donor partners and governments to invest $9 billion for Gavi’s 2026–2030 strategy; Increased support for CSOs and parliamentarian engagement to reach zero-dose children and strengthen vaccine equity; and this historic step reinforces Liberia’s dedication to securing a healthier future through stronger parliamentary leadership and sustainable domestic resources mobilization for health financing.
