Stepping up in Support of Vaccines to Save Lives
By By Tara Newton, Communications Associate, BID Initiative
Jan 27, 2015
Posted in News
Image: Gavi
Today, leaders and development ministers from around the world gathered in Berlin for the Gavi Pledging Conference. Gavi set a plan for 2016-2020 which would save up to six million lives and immunize more than 300 million children against deadly diseases. To meet this plan, Gavi set a target of US$7.5 billion to fully meet countries’ demands for vaccines against conditions including rotavirus, HPV, measles-rubella and typhoid, and to expand immunization to those children and communities currently excluded. We are happy to share that Gavi has exceeded their target and raised US$7.539 billion!
PATH is a founding member of Gavi and in support of the pledging conference, PATH CEO Steve Davis shared his perspective on reaching every child with vaccines. Below is an excerpt from Steve Davis’ post:
While new vaccine introductions and current vaccination programs are saving lives each year, it’s not just developing and introducing vaccines that matters. The vaccines need to be delivered to the right people, in the right place, at the right time, and in the right condition.
This is at the heart of Gavi’s and PATH’s core values: employing the power of innovation and partnerships to ensure that the world’s most vulnerable are protected through equitable access to vaccines. This requires advanced and innovative supply chain systems, including vaccine transportation and storage solutions as well as ways to track supplies and vaccination coverage with accurate data.
Through the Better Immunization Data (BID) Initiative launched in 2013, PATH is empowering countries to enhance immunization and overall health service delivery through improved data collection, quality, and use. Gavi is a key partner to the BID Initiative, supporting the development and testing of new barcode technology in Tanzania.
You can read the full post on the Vaccines Work blog.
View the Gavi Pledging Conference online.