One year on: GAVI Alliance on track to save 4 million lives

ONE year ago today, international donors pledged to invest $4.3 billion to immunise 250 million children and save an estimated 3.9 million lives.


At the Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) pledging conference last year, the total pledged surpassed even GAVI's own target of $3.7 billion.

With strong advocacy from RESULTS volunteers, the Australian Government more than tripled its contribution to $200 million over the period 2011-13.


And GAVI is delivering on its side of the bargain. A first-year ‘report card’ shows the Alliance is delivering on its promise to immunise 250 million children by 2015 -- and in the process save four million lives.


Some of the key milestones include:
- Routine immunisation rates across all GAVI-supported countries averaging over 80 per cent;
pentavalent vaccine introduced in 65 countries;
- Developing countries rolling out new vaccines against the major causes of the two biggest childhood killers in the world: pneumonia and severe diarrhoea.
- The first-ever GAVI funding windows for vaccines against human papillomavirus and rubella;
- Reductions in price of rotavirus and HPV vaccines for GAVI-supported programmes.
Vaccines provide a proven, cost effective intervention for saving the lives of children everywhere, particularly the world's poorest children. In a time of financial austerity and with international aid spending coming under increased scrutiny, the GAVI Alliance is a clear example of good aid in action.


RESULTS urges the GAVI Alliance to put equity front and centre of immunisation strategies in the next decade. By expanding coverage without addressing inequalities, gaps between rich and poor will widen.


One year on RESULTS congratulates the amazing achievements of the GAVI Alliance, and continues to champion the potential for immunisation to reduce poverty - urging greater efforts to reach the final 20 per cent of children around the world still left without access to vaccines.