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Washington, DC, 8 May 2017– Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance welcomed final approval of the U.S. fiscal year 2017 appropriations bill that includes US$ 275 million for Gavi, funding that will greatly enhance Gavi’s capacity to purchase and deliver life-saving vaccines for children in the world’s poorest countries. This will help immunise millions of children in developing countries against vaccine-preventable diseases, which claim 1.5 million lives every year.
The contribution to Gavi is part of the US$ 814.5 million approved for USAID’s Maternal and Child Health programs for 2017. This funding not only supports the introduction of new vaccines, innovative approaches and tools to expand equitable access to vaccines, but a range of other life-saving interventions.
“We are extremely grateful for the continued strong bipartisan support for Gavi’s role in expanding global immunisation programs, especially in a particularly challenging budget environment. Vaccines are one of the best buys in global health and healthy families contribute to healthy economies,” said Gavi CEO Dr. Seth Berkley.
Dr. Berkley specifically thanked Senate State, Foreign Operations Chairman Lindsey Graham and the committee’s Ranking Member Senator Patrick Leahy, as well as House State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee leaders, Chairman Hal Rogers, Ranking Member Congresswoman Nita Lowey and former Chair Congresswoman Kay Granger for their commitment to providing vaccines to immunise children around the world.
By passing this bill, the U.S. is demonstrating its continued and essential leadership in global health. From programs that prevent and treat diseases to those that improve the welfare of vulnerable people, especially children, in poor countries, the U.S. understands that by saving lives around the world, Americans are safer and more prosperous here at home.
Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped immunise more than 580 million children, averting more than 8 million deaths. The $275 million contribution from the United States will help Gavi achieve its goal of immunising 300 million additional children between 2016 and 2020, averting five million to six million additional deaths. The U.S. is one of Gavi’s original six donors.
In January 2015, when donors and partners gathered in Berlin for Gavi’s historic pledging conference, the United States pledged to contribute US$ 1 billion to Gavi over four years (2015 to 2018). Passage of the 2017 budget with funding for Gavi represents a commitment to uphold that pledge and highlights continued strong bipartisan support for protecting children from deadly infectious diseases.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is supported by donor governments (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, the People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Russia, South Africa, Spain, the State of Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States), the European Commission, Alwaleed Philanthropies, the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as well as private and corporate partners (Absolute Return for Kids, Anglo American plc., The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Comic Relief, Deutsche Post DHL, the ELMA Vaccines and Immunization Foundation, Girl Effect, The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers (IFPW), the Gulf Youth Alliance, JP Morgan, “la Caixa” Foundation, LDS Charities, Lions Clubs International Foundation, Majid Al Futtaim, Philips, Unilever, UPS and Vodafone).
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