How to ensure vaccines reach more children than ever

This is a year of opportunity. Not only will 2015 see the birth of a new development framework to ensure global sustainability, it will also be the year when the world’s nations help secure a better future for millions of children living in poverty.

On January 26 and 27, Germany will host Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance as it holds its second pledging conference to secure $7.5 billion in new funding. This funding will cover its work during the period 2016-2020 and accelerate progress to ensure that vaccines reach more children than ever before.

Vaccines are one of the best investments in public health, and although it is the right of every child to be immunised, the reality is often different. According to Gavi, an estimated 20 million children in Gavi-supported countries did not receive a full course of even the most basic vaccine (DTP3) in 2012. Access to more powerful vaccines is even worse: over 70 million children have not been immunised. In addition, only one percent of girls living in low- and middle income countries received a human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) – resulting in an estimated 32 million girls at risk of contracting cervical cancer.

If we are to change this situation for good, we need to act decisively now. The $7.5 billion of funding that Gavi is seeking from international donors will accelerate the gains already achieved by the rollout of vaccines by increasing the number of children that will be immunised over the next five years by 300 million. This single action would prevent an estimated five to six million deaths over this period if Gavi’s plan for scaled up immunisation is realised.

And these are just the direct results. Investing in public health is also an investment in economic development. With fewer deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases, families and communities will become stronger as health costs are reduced, more children will be able to remain in school and complete their education and opportunities for girls and mothers will be improved. Added together, this is projected to result in a $100 billion economic benefit to the world’s poorest countries – more than a tenfold return on investment.

These results are more than just aspirations, they can be achieved. Since its inception, Gavi has been delivering on its promises of saving lives through immunisation. To date, Gavi has helped over seventy of the world’s poorest countries immunise over 440 million children since the year 2000. This has meant that six million lives have been saved.

Gavi is taking a long-term approach to immunisation and vaccination programmes. For the impact of vaccination on child health to be fully felt, national programmes need to be sustainable. Countries in receipt of vaccines and Gavi support are required to contribute to the cost of the vaccines, with their contributions becoming larger the more prosperous their economies grow. This model helps to ensure that immunisation programmes continue long after Gavi’s financial support ends, locking in the successes for future generations.

Now that a better world is within our grasp, let’s work on making it possible.  We have to. The lives of millions of children are depending on us.