Gabon faces concerning decline in vaccination coverage, government announces urgent measures
via Gabon Review3 min read
Gabon is experiencing a worrying decline in its vaccination coverage, a situation that exposes the country to real epidemic risks. On the occasion of African Vaccination Week, which began on April 22, 2026, the Minister of Health, Professor Elsa Nkana Jos茅phine Ayo Nkana Epse Bivigou, highlighted the determination of authorities to reverse this trend. The national vaccination coverage currently fluctuates between 60% and 75%, with a rate of 62% for Penta 3 in 2025, significantly below the 90% target set in the National Health Development Plan. This decline particularly affects children over one year old, leading to health vulnerabilities. The minister warned of this fragility, citing the resurgence of diphtheria in Woleu-Ntem in 2023, as well as recent cases of measles and yellow fever. Under the impetus of President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, 2026 has been declared the "year of revitalizing vaccination services." The government's strategy includes generalizing the "Reach every district" approach to identify and vaccinate "zero-dose" children, especially in isolated areas. A large-scale program to modernize the cold chain will be launched with solar refrigerators, supported by partners like UNICEF and CDC Africa. The government also plans to use digital transformation for real-time vaccine stock monitoring with tools like DHIS2 and geographic information systems. New vaccines against pneumococcus, rotavirus, HPV, and malaria will be introduced, and a second dose of the mea
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Must ReadA long-standing dispute between Cameroon's Caisse des d茅p么ts et consignations CDEC and the Central African Banking Commission COBAC has escalated from technocratic meetings to academic debate. The conflict centers on COBAC's claim to organize and supervise the sovereign public service of deposits and consignments, a claim solidified by two regulations adopted in July 2025. Richard Evina Obam, Director General of CDEC, offers a legal perspective, countering political scientist Guy Mvelle's concerns about Cameroon's international isolation. Obam argues that COBAC's actions ignore the principle of attribution, disrupt the hierarchy of norms, disregard the principle of parallelism of forms, and incorrectly classify dormant assets as banking operations. He warns that the issue extends beyond Cameroon, potentially discrediting the entire CEMAC region internationally. Obam highlights several critical legal violations. First, he asserts a flagrant violation of the principle of attribution in community law, stating that CEMAC's primary legal texts do not transfer the sovereign public service of deposits and consignments to the community. Second, he points to a manifest transgression of the primacy of primary law over derived law, citing two COBAC-initiated regulations adopted in July 2025 that he claims violate established competency rules. Third, he identifies a serious infringement of the principle of parallelism of forms, arguing that COBAC is attempting to unilaterally modify Arti
Maurel & Prom M&P reported an increase in its oil production in Gabon during the first half of 2026, despite a slight slowdown in activity in the second quarter due to maintenance operations on the Ezanga field. The French group's revenue in Gabon surged by 34% compared to the second half of 2025, driven by rising crude oil prices and progress on its first Gabonese gas project. The Ezanga oil permit, M&P's main asset in Central Africa, continues to support the group's performance in Gabon. M&P's share of oil production, where it holds 80% of the permit, reached 13,896 barrels per day during the first six months of the year, a 1% increase from the second half of 2025. This growth occurred despite a two-day scheduled shutdown for general field maintenance in the second quarter. By July, Ezanga's production reached approximately 17,500 barrels per day at 100%, corresponding to nearly 14,000 barrels daily for M&P's share. Financially, Gabon remains the group's primary revenue source, generating $228 million in the first half of 2026, up from $169 million in the second half of 2025, a 34% increase. Compared to the first half of 2025, the increase was 20%. Maurel & Prom benefited from rising oil prices, with the average selling price per barrel at $103.8, a 53% increase from the second half of 2025, contributing to a consolidated revenue of $366 million, up 27%. Globally, the group's total production, including operations in Venezuela, Angola, Tanzania, and Colombia, was 37,890 bar
The management committee of the Central African Deposit Guarantee Fund Fogadac recently convened in Brazzaville, approving measures to strengthen its governance and operational capabilities. The institution aims to increase its intervention fund to 1 trillion CFA francs by 2036, up from its current 346 billion CFA francs. During this session, D茅sir茅 Louzolo Tsoumbou from Gabon was appointed as the permanent secretary, supported by Marcel Ombolo Andela from Cameroon as deputy permanent secretary, both serving three-year renewable terms. Chaired by Yvon Sana Bangui, the Governor of the Bank of Central African States BEAC, the meeting on July 17, 2026, also reviewed the Fund's financial status as of June 30, 2026. Fogadac's intervention reserve reached 345.8 billion CFA francs, with an investment portfolio of 207 billion CFA francs, generating 8.38 billion CFA francs in revenue during the first half of the year. To enhance governance, the committee approved the creation of an investment committee and a new delegation system for signatures on the Fund's accounts to improve security and responsibility separation. The firm Homme & D茅veloppement was tasked with developing a modern legal and social framework for human resources management. Additionally, the recruitment process for senior executives is ongoing, with an ad hoc committee set to finalize selections for Risk Manager and IT Manager positions. Established in 2009, Fogadac's mission is to compensate depositors in case of cre