In Australia, on average less than five children in every 1000 births die before they reach their fifth birthday. In the developing world, such as Sierra Leone for example, 163 out of 1000 babies die needlessly each year. Most of these deaths are preventable, purely because they haven't been inoculated from the curable diseases of pneumonia and diarrhoea.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd is to deliver a welcome speech on Sunday at the opening of the Saving Children's Lives conference in London, organised by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI).
It is estimated that some 500,000 children die each year from diarrhoea-related diseases, and while GAVI says the new vaccine will not provide a solution, it has the potential to save many lives.
Australia has already committed $A90 million directly to GAVI for 2006 to 2013, and made a further $A250 million commitment over 20 years through the alliance's investment branch, the International Finance Facility for Immunisation.
The facility is also supported by the governments of France, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, South Africa, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, along with private sponsorships from organisations, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
And this:
Australia's commitment to curb global infant death rates will be tested this month when Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd faces requests for a fresh wave of funding...
...The $474 million allocation is equal to 0.35 per cent of gross national income (GNI) and Mr Rudd has said the government is committed to boosting that to 0.5 per cent of GNI by 2015/16.
While the majority of GAVI funding comes from the governments of developed nations, private groups such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, also contribute.
Mr Rudd's welcome speech will be delivered alongside that by a Gates Foundation representative.To keep up on the developments on the GAVI's 'Saving Children's lives' conference follow this blog.
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