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Press Information
The Children’s Challenge: Immunize Every
Child, Protect the Future
A worldwide effort with a part for
us all to play
The Children’s Challenge, launched
by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI)
in Davos, Switzerland, brings together many kinds of people
and organizations to reach one critical goal: To immunize
every child.
The goal is basic, cost effective and most importantly,
achievable. It’s a goal that offers each and every one of us
an opportunity to make a difference, as there are many ways in which
individuals and organizations can help. Some will contribute funds,
others time and effort. Here are some examples of what different
groups can do to help support this important global effort:
Corporations
- Help immunize your employees and their
families by offering immunization days at your premises,
or by sponsoring local immunization activities; urge employees
to learn about immunization and to immunize their children
and themselves when necessary.
- Learn more about how immunization can
increase productivity, help create a more capable future
workforce and help people escape from poverty.
- Determine the immunization needs and
successes of countries in which you do business and particularly
those in which you have operations.
- Support immunization efforts through
contributions of corporate philanthropic funds; allocate
a percentage of your annual profits to local immunization
and vaccination initiatives with GAVI.
- Encourage and recognize employee participation
in volunteer programs aimed at increasing immunization coverage.
- Develop and participate in advocacy
and advertising campaigns to promote immunization in the
countries where you work.
- Contact GAVI to discuss ways to offer goods
or advice, make donations, or support local efforts.
Donor Nations
- Make funding for immunization a top
priority in public health and economic development loans
and grants in your bilateral programs.
- Contact GAVI to support the work of
the Alliance.
- Support GAVI with logistical aid and other
in-kind contributions (transportation, broadcast and media help).
National Health Authorities
- Make universal childhood immunization
with all appropriate vaccines a national priority.
- Set up National Immunization Coordination
Committees, with participation from leading national, bilateral
and multi-lateral organizations.
- Consider approaching GAVI and other
funding sources for assistance in making vaccines accessible
to children.
- Make immunization a topic of high-level
discussions at national forums.
- Organize information and social mobilization
campaigns to educate the public about immunization.
Media
- Stay current on the vaccine and immunization
front by visiting GAVI and GAVI-partner web sites regularly.
- Participate in a field visit with one of
the GAVI partner organizations (i.e., UNICEF, WHO, The World Bank)
to see first-hand the impact of immunization and report back to
your audiences.
Non-Governmental Organizations
- Contact GAVI to discuss ways your organization
can contribute to the goals of the Children’s Challenge.
- Collaborate with government and other
development partners to strengthen immunization with all
appropriate vaccines at the local level.
- Ensure that the cause of universal immunization
is a top priority with your audiences.
Philanthropists, Trusts and Foundations
- Become knowledgeable about vaccines
and immunization and the role they play in world health
and economic development.
- Consider contributing to GAVI’s
Children’s Challenge by a donation to the Global Fund
for Children’s Vaccines or other efforts in support
of immunization.
- Help GAVI advocate for higher immunization
rates around the world, and for the development of new vaccines
that are especially relevant to the nations of the developing
world.
Educators
- Incorporate age-appropriate information about
immunization into school curricula.
- Provide take-home materials on vaccines and
immunization that your students can share with their families;
use school meetings or events to help further educate parents
about the importance of immunization.
- Help your students organize campaigns in
their communities to educate their peers about the importance
of immunization.
Youth Groups
- Learn more about vaccines and immunization
by visiting the GAVI web site or other partner sites.
- Consider making the Children’s
Challenge a part of your organization’s community service
or global outreach mission.
- Create your own group such as the "Youth
Immunization Advocates" to educate your peers about
the importance of immunization.
- Conduct fund-raising activities to support
the Children’s Challenge.
To find out more about GAVI’s Children’s
Challenge and how to join this worldwide effort, please contact:
Lisa Jacobs
GAVI Secretariat
c/o UNICEF
Palais des Nations
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Tel: 41.22.909.50.42
Fax: 41.22.909.59.31
Email: gavi@unicef.org
www.VaccineAlliance.org
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