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Friday, 17 November 2000
PRESS RELEASE
CHILDREN’S VACCINE ADVOCATES TO MEET IN THE NETHERLANDS TO SHARE
FIRST-YEAR SUCCESSES
Recent U.S. contribution of $50 million supports ongoing efforts to
immunize children
NOORDWIJK, the Netherlands—One year after the creation of the Global
Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) and the Vaccine Fund, more
than 300 individuals from public and private institutions and 40
developing country government health programs will gather next week in
the Netherlands to take stock of their progress and plan expanded
efforts in the coming years. Board meetings of both GAVI and the Vaccine
Fund will also decide a second round of awards to developing countries
for improved immunization services and/or the introduction of new
vaccines.
The existence of the Vaccine Fund has served to fill the gap in
immunization funding for the 74 poorest countries of the world (those
who have a GNP per capita of less than U.S.$1,000). The Vaccine Fund has
raised nearly $1 billion toward its goal of $1.8 billion over the next
five years to ensure that children in the world’s poorest countries are
immunized. Earlier this month, the United States approved a $50 million
contribution to the Vaccine Fund for its work. This follows earlier
commitments from several European governments.
"With this contribution, the U.S. Congress and President Clinton have
acknowledged the importance of this new initiative and the tremendous
need to do more to immunize the world’s children," said Jacques-François
Martin, president of the Vaccine Fund for Children’s Vaccines. "We are
gratified by the U.S. support and the momentum it provides to our
efforts."
In September, the Vaccine Fund awarded more that $150 million over five
years to 13 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Countries
received support to strengthen basic immunization systems and to
introduce newer, under-used vaccines such as hepatitis B and
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). A second round of awards will
be announced in the Netherlands.
Launched in November 1999, GAVI and the Vaccine Fund have accomplished
much in their first year. Working together and with unprecedented
commitment, the organizations involved in GAVI—the World Health
Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, national governments, private
foundations, pharmaceutical companies and research institutions—are
working together to immunize the world’s children. They claim that the
collaboration has helped to streamline strategies, enabling stronger,
smarter, and more efficient support to immunization programs in
developing countries.
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) is a coalition
of organizations formed in 1999 in response to stagnating global
immunization rates and widening disparities in vaccine access among
industrialized and developing countries. The GAVI partners include:
national governments, the Gates Children’s Vaccine Program at PATH, the
International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations
(IFPMA), research and public health institutions, the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank Group and the World Health
Organization (WHO).
The Vaccine Fund, a new financing resource that was created in 1999,
provides financial support directly to low-income countries to
strengthen their immunization services and to purchase new and
under-used vaccines. The Vaccine Fund received an initial $750 million
grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and has since received
support from governments and other donors. In the future, Vaccine Fund
resources may also be used to accelerate the development of vaccines for
diseases responsible for significant mortality in developing countries,
such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and acute respiratory diseases.
While the Vaccine Fund has its own Board and management for fiduciary
and fundraising responsibilities, decisions about programs to receive
support will be made on the recommendation of GAVI.
More about GAVI
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