Paris, 17 May 2019 – Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance welcomes G7 health ministers’ call for strengthening primary health care in all countries, including the poorest, as well as the adoption of the G7 Primary Health Care Universal Knowledge Initiative.
“France’s leadership in fighting inequality and its support for health care across the Sahel and more broadly the developing world, including its funding to Gavi, is making a huge difference in many of the world’s poorest countries, saving lives, preventing pandemics and promoting economic growth,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “We welcome this call to action and this initiative. Immunisation is a crucial platform for primary health care which should be a right for everyone, no matter where they live, and which is core to the Sustainable Development Goals.”
“Gavi commends the French G7 presidency for putting primary health care on the agenda,” said Dr Berkley. “If G7 leaders want to make a real difference, immunisation has the potential to save millions of lives and trigger massive economic growth as US$ 1 invested can bring as much as US$ 48 in economic benefits.”
At least half of the world’s 7.3 billion people still lack access to essential health services. Immunisation offers opportunities to give communities access to a range of health services many times throughout their lives. Today, routine immunisation reaches 85% of the world’s children – more than any other health intervention – and is the only intervention that brings families into contact with the health system five or more times during the first year of a child’s life.
Since 2000 Gavi has helped immunise more than 700 million people in the world’s poorest countries, preventing more than 10 million deaths. Gavi also works with developing countries, as well as partners including the Global Fund, to build strong health systems. Its support to countries helps ensure that populations are protected from disease before pandemics have the chance to spread and supports an effective response to disease outbreaks after they occur through vaccine stockpiles.
Notes to editors
About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunise a whole generation – over 760 million children – and prevented more than 13 million deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 73 developing countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningitis and yellow fever vaccines. After two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation and reaching the unvaccinated children still being left behind, employing innovative finance and the latest technology – from drones to biometrics – to save millions more lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. View the full list of donor governments and other leading organizations that fund Gavi’s work here.