Washington, DC (June 4, 2020) – ACTION Global Health Advocacy Partnership applauds world leaders for significant new financial commitments that will help deliver more than 3.2 billion doses of life-saving vaccines to reach 300 million children by 2025.
In the lead up to and during the virtual Global Vaccines Summit, world leaders committed a total of US $8.8 billion in new resources over the next five years to Gavi, a global vaccine alliance bringing together public and private sectors with the shared goal of creating equal access to vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries. Gavi support has contributed to the immunisation of over 760 million children since their inception in 2000, including 198 million children between 2016 and 2018.
“Vaccines help prevent not just disease but poverty. And Gavi’s lifesaving work is not just about health, but also justice,” said Joanne Carter, RESULTS Educational Fund executive director and member of the ACTION Leadership Group.
RESULTS UK Executive Director Aaron Oxley concurred: “Gavi plays a critical role in ensuring equitable access to lifesaving vaccines, reducing the unacceptable gaps in coverage both within countries and between countries. Support for Gavi is needed more than ever to mitigate the impact of disruption to essential vaccination programs and support countries health systems in this time of crisis.”
This replenishment comes at a critical moment, as the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic. Gavi’s unique cooperation with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will be essential to manufacturing and delivering COVID-19 tools (diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines). This is especially important in countries with limited resources. Routine immunisation services have been significantly damaged due to COVID-19, with at least 80 million children under the age of one at risk of missing routine vaccinations and 24 million children in Gavi-supported countries at risk of missing vaccinations for diseases such as polio, measles, yellow fever, and cholera.
For the world to overcome COVID-19, all nations must be declared COVID-free. This mean that countries with limited resources and challenged health systems must be able to prevent and respond to COVID-19 infections while ensuring continued availability of essential health services, including routine immunisation. Vaccinating children against common and deadly illnesses — including polio, measles, and cholera — has long been known to increase child survival and educational success, with positive long-term impacts on women’s employment and communities’ economic prosperity.
“Once a vaccine for COVID-19 is available, it is key the poorest as well as the wealthiest countries are able to access it,” said Negaya Chorley, RESULTS International Australia CEO. “The current pandemic has underlined the fact that infectious diseases respect no borders. Health systems in all countries will need to be at their strongest in order to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine as widely as possible, to both adults and children” she added.
The outcome answered the calls of advocates and communities around the globe.
Pledging highlights among ACTION partner countries:
- The US committed US $1.16 billion over 5 years, its largest pledge to Gavi to date.
- The UK maintained its status as Gavi’s largest donor, pledging £330 million over each of the next 5 years (£1.65 billion total).
- Canada affirmed its leadership in the fight for vaccines as primary tools to combat the global spread of infectious diseases with a CAD $600 million pledge.
- Italy has announced a commitment of €120 million direct contribution to Gavi and a new iFFIM pledge of €150 million for 2025-2031, a future contribution already pledged of €137.5 million.
- Japan pledged US $300 million over 5 years, an increase from US $100 million in 2016.
- France committed €250 million over 5 years and €100 million for COVID-19 response.
- The European Union committed a €300 million pledge over 5 years.
- Australia pledged AUD $300 million, a 20% increase from AUD $250 million in 2015.
Notes to Editors
ACTION Global Health Advocacy Partnership is a partnership of 14 locally rooted organizations around the world that advocate together to build political will and increase investments for global health. Our partners: Æquitas (India), CITAM+ (Zambia), Global Health Advocates France, Global Health Advocates India, Kenya AIDS NGOs Consortium, Princess of Africa Foundation (South Africa), RESULTS International Australia, RESULTS Canada, RESULTS Japan, RESULTS Educational Fund (US), RESULTS UK, Focus Equality, WACI Health, HDT (Tanzania).