Congress Provides $60 Million to Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI)
$58 Million of Funding to go to The Vaccine Fund
WASHINGTON, DC 20523
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2003-065
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2003
Contact: USAID Press Office
WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) today announced funding of nearly $60 million to improve and expand children's immunization programs in developing countries. $58 million will be provided directly to The Vaccine Fund, the financing arm of the Global Alliance of Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). In addition nearly $2 million will be spent in direct support of the GAVI objectives in countries lagging in immunization coverage. The Vaccine Fund is a unique public-private partnership created in 1999.
"Keeping a focus on improving routine immunization coverage is paramount to saving lives, improving health, raising productivity, and laying the foundation for primary health care systems," said Andrew S. Natsios, USAID Administrator. "It is one of the most cost effective interventions available and this contribution underscores GAVI and The Vaccine Fund's strong progress and significant achievements toward ensuring that every child, everywhere is protected against vaccine-preventable diseases."
The U.S. contribution to The Vaccine Fund has increased annually, from $48 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 to $53 million in FY 2002 and $58 million in 2003 - resulting in a total U.S. contribution over the past three years of nearly $160 million. In addition to direct funding, USAID provides other support to GAVI for immunizations.
As a result of GAVI, approximately 30 million more of the world's children are now protected against Hepatitis B, 4.3 million children are now protected against Haemophilus influenzae Type B (Hib) and 1.6 million children are now protected against yellow fever. Furthermore, GAVI estimates that countries have been able to provide basic vaccination to 8.3 million children who would otherwise have not been reached with any vaccines at all.
USAID's grant, which was announced as GAVI's Board of Directors met at the World Bank, brings total five-year commitments to the world's poorest countries by GAVI and The Vaccine Fund to over $1 billion. Seventy-one countries are now receiving funding for health infrastructure, vaccines and supplies. It is estimated that as many as 300,000 deaths will be prevented because of the resources provided by The Vaccine Fund thus far.
"We are proud to count the United States as one of our most active partners," said Jacques-François Martin, President of The Vaccine Fund. "We look forward to working with the U.S. to develop a long-term relationship. The announcement today of this generous commitment is great news for the world's children. It will help provide millions of children access to health and access to life."
"GAVI is a model example of new public-private alliances," said Dr. E. Anne Peterson, MD, MPH, USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health. "There are substantial challenges to improving routine immunization and introducing new vaccines in a sustainable manner. But the GAVI board brings the best experience from donors, national governments and private sector together to innovatively find solutions to these challenges."
USAID has been a global leader in support of routine immunization programs in developing countries since the early 1980s and remains committed to reducing the impact of vaccine preventable diseases. In addition to the $60 million announced today, USAID also provides substantial other support for routine immunization.
While immunization prevents approximately three million deaths each year, critical challenges still confront developing nations. Despite sweeping gains achieved by the Expanded Program for Immunization during the 1980s, approximately one in four children are still not fully immunized today. Worldwide, two million children - 20 percent of the 11 million global deaths in children under age five - die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases.
The GAVI partners, which include governments, international agencies, research institutes, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), foundations and representatives of industry, have come together to form a successful public-private partnership which has elevated the priority for child immunization throughout the developing world. The initiative, which has brought new donor and program country resources and synergies to the immunization challenge, is already increasing access to vaccines among children in the world's 64 poorest countries.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.
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