GAVI vaccinations planned for 250 million children

GAVI: Vaccinations planned for 250 million children

06/15/2011

Millions of children worldwide could be rescued by vaccinations. At least a quarter of a billion children will be helped by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization („Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization“; GAVI) to be vaccinated against dangerous diseases by 2015, thus saving four million child lives, British Prime Minister David Cameron said at a donor conference in London.

Almost two million children die each year from diseases that could be effectively prevented by a vaccine, GAVI reports. To remedy this, the vaccination alliance has set itself the goal of supporting vaccination programs in the needy countries on the ground. At a donors' meeting of governments, aid organizations and foundations in London, the British Prime Minister said that by 2015, around 250 million children could be vaccinated through the GAVI. Up to four million child lives could be saved this way, David Cameron continued.

Millions of children worldwide suffer from preventable diseases
Every year millions of children worldwide suffer from diseases such as cholera, tetanus, pneumococcal pneumonia, rotavirus infections or measles, although it would be relatively easy to prevent the occurrence of the diseases by means of appropriate vaccinations. However, especially in the poorer countries, most of the money for comprehensive vaccination programs is missing, so that the GAVI has undertaken to support the needy nations at this point. Around € 3 billion has been made available for this purpose by GAVI governments, organizations (eg World Bank, World Health Organization, UNICEF), foundations, private individuals and vaccine manufacturers. In the last round of applications, a record number of 50 countries eligible for funding from GAVI applied for funding for their vaccination programs, a spokesperson told the vaccination alliance at the donors' meeting in London. This means that around twice as many countries have applied for support, as in the previous peak in 2007. The increase from 27 to 50 applicants in the past four years illustrates, in GAVI's view, the growing willingness of developing countries to and development of appropriate vaccination programs.

Vaccine Alliance provides support for the introduction of vaccination programs
In order to reduce the life-threatening diseases of children, developing countries have been able to apply for the introduction of a five-fold vaccine and help with the meningitis A (meningitis A), yellow fever and measles (2nd dose), pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccination programs. In particular, pneumococcal pneumonia and rotavirus intestinal infections are the leading causes of death in childhood deaths among children under the age of five and the initiation of appropriate vaccination programs was therefore the goal of most applicants. More than one million children worldwide die of pneumonia or intestinal infections worldwide (rotaviruses cause severe diarrhea), GAVI said at the donors' meeting in London. With the help of the vaccination alliance and the own contribution of the requesting nations millions of child lives could be saved in the coming years, hope the experts of the Impfallianz. According to GAVI, the contribution that the developing countries have to make in the development of vaccination programs helps minimize deadweight effects in the application process and makes clear that the nations concerned are willing to make a contribution to the protection of children.

A proportion of developing countries funding vaccination programs
Although developing countries must commit to co-financing the purchase of vaccines through a co-funding, the number of applicants has risen significantly in recent years, GAVI spokespersons report. An increasing number of developing countries are ready to contribute to the development of vaccination programs. In addition, in 2010, ten countries had even exceeded their commitment and made more money available than originally agreed, the vaccination alliance experts said. In the current round of applications, GAVI's largest applications came from Ghana with four vaccines and Haiti with three vaccines applied for. In addition, applications were received from crisis-ridden nations such as Afghanistan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (East Timor). Overall, most developing countries seem to be working hard to protect their local children from life-threatening illnesses by appropriate vaccinations. The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Margaret Chan, stated that „the great commitment of developing countries to the introduction of vaccines together with the strong donor support“ represents a significant step forward in the implementation of GAVI objectives. This commitment „will help us a great deal to achieve our goals and to save children's lives“, explained the WHO Director-General and added: „Every child deserves protection with the best that science has to offer.“

Criticizing the involvement of vaccine manufacturers
Critics of the Global Immunization Alliance are particularly bothered by the involvement of vaccine manufacturers, as they are also likely to have a financial interest in the introduction of appropriate vaccination programs in developing countries. Developing countries are already paying a share of their own, and if their economic situation improves in the future, pharmaceutical companies will receive billions in revenues from the national vaccination programs introduced today. However, it will take a few years until then that vaccine manufacturers can barely benefit from their involvement in GAVI today. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, which is largely financed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is also independent in content from the pharmaceutical companies, so that a looming conflict of interest can be ruled out in advance. Of course, pharmaceutical companies have some self-interest in introducing national vaccination programs, but GAVI does not rely on their financial support and is therefore relatively free. (Fp)

Also read:
Influenza: Risk groups should be vaccinated
Survey confirms vaccine fatigue of Germans
Impfkritik: How useful are vaccinations?
Vaccination: Children are vaccinated too little?
Sleeping sickness by swine flu vaccine

Picture: Martin Büdenbender