For more than a century, scientists and public health leaders
have known that preventing infectious diseases is the most efficient form of health
intervention. During the twentieth century, medical research led to the development
of vaccines that prevent a number of crippling, often fatal, childhood diseases.
However, as a new century begins, the world falls short of realizing the full
benefit of childhood immunization. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization
(GAVI) was formed in 1999 with the mission of ensuring that every child in the
world will be protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. GAVI exists
as a mechanism for coordinating and revitalizing immunization programs at international,
regional and national levels.
At present, immunization
programs appear to save up to 3 million lives annually worldwide. However, almost
3 million people still die annually from diseases that could be prevented with
currently available vaccines.
Children in the
poorest countries are the least protected, and the gap between the vaccines readily
available to them and those available to children in the industrialized world
is growing. GAVI is committed to closing this gap through a global network of
international development organizations, multilateral development banks, philanthropic
organizations, private sector leaders and other parties focused on re-energizing
the worlds commitment to vaccines and immunization.
By
significantly expanding the reach and effectiveness of immunization programs country
by country, the GAVI partners hope to help decrease the burden of disease globally.
GAVI reaffirms that immunization is a cornerstone for health, a key component
of the broader framework of economic development and poverty reduction, and an
essential step to protecting childrens health and allowing each child to
reach his or her greatest physical and intellectual potential.
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GAVI is a worldwide partnership
Since
immunization is a global issue, it requires a global solution. GAVI represents
an historic alliance of public and private sector partners assembled into a worldwide
network. These partners are: the Bill and Melinda
Gates Childrens Vaccine Program, The World
Health Organization (WHO) , The United Nations
Childrens Fund (UNICEF), The World
Bank Group, Foundations, Developing
country governments, Nongovernmental Organizations
(NGOs), Government Industrialized Countries,
Research and technical health institutions,
Vaccine Industry Industrialized Country,
Research and technical health institutions,
Vaccine Industry Developing Country.
GAVIs Board of Directors consists of top officials from its members and
is currently chaired by Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, WHO
Director-General. Dr. Brundtland will be followed in two years by Ms. Carol
Bellamy, Executive
Director of UNICEF.
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Objectives
To fulfill
its mission of protecting children of all nations and of all socioeconomic levels
against vaccine-preventable diseases, GAVI has established five strategic objectives:
- Improve access to sustainable immunization services
- Expand the use of all existing, safe and
cost-effective vaccines where they address a public health problem
- Accelerate the development and introduction of new
vaccines and technologies
- Accelerate
R&D efforts for vaccines needed primarily in developing countries
- Make immunization coverage
a centerpiece in international development efforts
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How
GAVI will accomplish its goals
The Alliance
will work towards its objectives through the following mechanisms:
- Improving donor collaboration to ensure effective use of
immunization funding and developing sustainable financing instruments for vaccine
procurement
- Working with individual
countries to strengthen national immunization services through enhanced coordination
among governments and development partners
- Working
with global vaccine industry partners to continue to provide the highest quality
vaccines at the lowest appropriate pricing and exploring a competitive negotiation
mechanism to help bring new vaccines to the poorest populations at the earliest
possible time
- Seeking to achieve
a balance between three vaccine procurement objectives:
-
prices that are affordable to governments;
-
adequate investment in capacity to supply global needs;
-
and private investment in research and development of high-priority vaccines for
developing countries.
- The
newly created Global Fund for Childrens
Vaccines is one of the financial tools available for GAVI to purchase under-utilized
and new vaccines and to provide resources to strengthen immunization infrastructure.
It will also support research for developing new vaccines against diseases
such as malaria, AIDS or tuberculosis needed primarily in the developing
world. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation generously pledged $750 million (US$150
million per year for five years) to establish the Vaccine Fund. Further support
has now been voiced by the United States Government. On January 10, 2000, at the
opening meeting of the United Nations Security Council, Vice President Al Gore
announced plans to ask Congress for a new $50-million investment in the Vaccine
Fund. (For archived news reports of this announcement visit www.vaccines.com).
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To find out more about GAVI and how
to join this worldwide effort, please contact:
Lisa
Jacobs
GAVI Secretariat
c/o UNICEF
Palais des Nations,
1211 Geneva
10
Switzerland
Tel: 41.22.909.50.19
Fax: 41.22.909.59.31
E-mail:
Gavi@unicef.org