Help Global Fund for Children's Vaccines

Global Fund for Children's Vaccines

Seattle, Washington

Cause Description:
Enabled by a generous gift from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Global Fund for Children's Vaccines has been created by GAVI to help fill the gaps that currently prevent the immunization of each and every child against major diseases. The Fund needs the support of business and political leaders if the vision of immunization for all is to be realized. Immunization is a human right and also a key step to economic development. Safe, effective and universal immunization is a means to end the tragedy of avoidable childhood deaths. It is also a means to improve a society's overall health and productivity. Yet too many children are still denied full immunization - the most cost-effective route to better health. GAVI and the Fund will work hand in hand to give them rightful and equitable access to this life-saving intervention. The Fund has been established with the pledge of $750 million ($150 million per year for five years) from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This is the largest gift in the Foundation's history. Under the stewardship of GAVI and the Fund's managers, additional resources from a variety of other partners will be sought to supplement the Gates Foundation's contribution and to realize the goal of worldwide immunization. It will take more than $1 billion in new funding over the next five years to immunize children in the poorest countries against hepatitis B, pneumococcus and Haemophilus influenzae b- three major diseases for which cost-effective vaccines already exist or will shortly be licensed. Once it is evident that countries have maximised their own resources for investing in immunization, the Fund will step in to 'close the gap' and provide support for the introduction of these new vaccines.

Type: Healthcare
Listed on iGive since: April 2000
iGive members supporting: 8

Website: http://www.vaccinealliance.org/reference/globalfund.html

Raised through iGive: $15.11 across 2 checks, May 2000 to June 2000.

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