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Seth Berkley and Dr. Christian Loucq met to discuss ways to expand collaboration between GAVI and IVI
Seoul, 29 November 2011 - The leaders of the GAVI Alliance and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) have agreed to expand collaboration between the two largest global health organisations dedicated to delivering vaccines to the world's poorest countries.
Meeting before this week's Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, GAVI CEO Seth Berkley MD and IVI Director General, Dr. Christian Loucq, discussed ways to strengthen their organisation's joint efforts to prevent and control infectious diseases in developing countries through vaccines.
Close cooperation
"A close cooperation with an organisation such as GAVI is of great meaning to us because it will allow us to make an even greater impact," said Dr. Loucq.
"I am happy to have this opportunity to search for more ways to cooperate with various partners such as IVI, the Korean government, and others in an attempt to help people protect their health through vaccination and to save more lives," said Dr. Berkley.
A close cooperation with an organisation such as GAVI is of great meaning to us because it will allow us to make an even greater impact. Dr. Christian Loucq, IVI Director General |
Vaccinology
IVI is an independent international organisation established at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme, which conducts research to develop and introduce new vaccines in order to protect people, especially children, in developing countries from infectious diseases.
"Since its establishment in 1997, IVI has grown to be a leading organisation in vaccinology across various areas such as R&D, epidemiology, technology transfer and training, and policy, which has enabled us to create new vaccines for the poor and accelerate their introduction into developing countries," said Dr. Loucq.
Decade of Vaccines
The GAVI-IVI partnership will have an important role in the Decade of Vaccines initiative, led by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to scale up research, development and delivery of vaccines for developing countries through increased commitments by governments and greater public-private partnerships.
"Such partnerships deserve more attention since they are not only effective but also a sustainable development approach," said Dr. Berkley.