GAVI Alliance - Children’s health initiative in Africa (Burkina Faso, Burundi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Madagascar)

Context

Every year, 1.7 million children still die from diseases which can be prevented by vaccination. Most of them are in developing countries and one life is lost every 20 seconds. 

Nearly 19 million children do not have access to the basic protection provided by the 11 vaccinations recommended by WHO. And yet childhood immunisation is one of the most effective investments that can be made, not only for health but also for social and economic development. For every euro invested in immunisation, 16 euros can be saved on the costs of healthcare and loss of salary and productivity.

Immunisation is also an entryway to the healthcare system and enables newborn babies to be registered.

Gavi, Vaccine Alliance, is an international non-profit organisation which was founded in 2000 during the Davos World Economic Forum. The fund now vaccinates 60% of children around the world and operates in 73 countries. Gavi pays the full cost of national immunisation in countries where income per head is less than USD 1,000/year.

As part of its 2016–2020 strategy, the Alliance hopes to vaccinate a further 300 million children in a bid to prevent 5–6 million additional deaths. Noting the absence of significant progress in terms of immunisation coverage in West Africa, Gavi will strengthen its activity in this area, and in Madagascar.

Overall objective

To contribute, through expanding access to vaccination, to improving maternal and child health in several French-speaking Least Advanced Countries, e.g. Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Madagascar.

Beneficiaries

Direct beneficiaries: 
105,000 children have received the pentavalent vaccine in several French-speaking Least Advanced Countries, saving 1,000 lives.

Indirect beneficiaries:
Families and, more broadly, communities through the so-called "immunological" benefits of vaccination.