The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) is one of the world’s most effective anti-poverty institutions, spending the bulk of the UK’s overseas aid budget with a firm focus on poverty reduction. The UK’s support for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a great example. Since it was founded 20 years ago, Gavi has helped immunise more than 760 million children and prevented over 13 million deaths. Vaccines don’t just save lives: they also have a huge impact on families, communities and economies.
The UK is Gavi’s largest individual donor, enabling it to reach millions of children around the world with life-saving vaccines. Without past and current UK support, the remarkable achievements the world has made in immunisation would not have been possible.
It is vital for Gavi to be fully replenished in 2020 to continue its work toward global vaccination targets. In the period 2021–2025, Gavi plans to help the world’s poorest countries reach a further 300 million children and save an additional 7–8 million lives. To achieve its ambitious plans, Gavi will need at least an extra US $7.4 billion. On 3-4 June 2020, the UK will host Gavi’s next replenishment conference, and it must ensure an ambitious replenishment to make progress towards enabling children to receive all essential vaccines. We are asking for the UK government to pledge at least 25% of Gavi’s financial request (at current exchange rates, around £1.65 billion) for the period 2021-2025. This month, please arrange to visit or write to your MP, explaining why you support the work of DFID to overcome poverty. Please ask your MP to write to Secretary of State for International Development Alok Sharma, asking him to continue the UK’s strong support for Gavi’s life-saving vaccination programmes.
Watch back our conference call on this campaign here.