This week it was announced that the UK will host the replenishment conference of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) in 2020. The conference will bring together political leaders, civil society, public and private donors, vaccine manufacturers, and governments to support the global vaccine partnership which has protected 700 million children against deadly infectious diseases, averted 500 million cases of illness, and is estimated to have saved 10 million lives since 2000.

Gavi’s remarkable achievements have been made possible by its unique partnership structure between governments, the private sector and civil society. Gavi works through a model of sustainability, aiming to support countries out of Gavi-support and eventually fund their own immunisation systems.

However, millions of children still miss out on basic vaccines, and 1 in 10 children still receive no vaccines at all. Only 7% of children in the poorest 73 countries receive all 11 World Health Organisation-recommended vaccines. Vaccines are crucial to achieving 14 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. The next phase of Gavi’s work is crucial as we aim to achieve these Global Goals by 2030.

Vaccines are not only essential for ensuring that children live healthy, and fulfilling lives, they also make economic sense. For every $1 spent on vaccinations there is an economic return of $16 to $44 – making them one of the most cost effective public health investments. With London hosting the next replenishment conference, it’s our chance to show policy makers these benefits.

The UK is the largest contributor to Gavi, currently responsible for 25% of Gavi’s budget, and through this support has helped immunise 76 million children against vaccine-preventable diseases, saving 1.4 million lives globally. As a founding member of Gavi, the UK’s decision to host the conference signals the UK’s continued leadership to reach every last child with the life-saving vaccines they deserve. It also reflects a recognition of the incredible work of the partnership and the importance of ensuring that it is able to continue to help save millions of lives and prevent millions more cases of disease and disability.

Next year’s event builds on previous Gavi replenishment conferences, the first hosted in London in 2011 – which raised US$ 4.3 billion – and the second, in Berlin in 2015 – which raised $7.5 billion. It is hoped that the third replenishment conference will raise more than ever. The UK and other donors must ensure that Gavi has all of the resources it needs for the next decade ahead in order to ensure every child is fully immunised.

To find out more, read RESULTS-supported report ‘the Next Decade of Vaccines: Addressing the challenges that remain to achieving vaccinations for all’.