Vaccination Efforts Save Lives, Protect Children, and Boost Economies
Geneva, Switzerland – In a remarkable achievement, vaccination programs supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, have saved over 1.3 million lives in 2023 alone. This translates to over 2 lives saved every minute of the day. The Alliance’s efforts have also led to historic progress in preventing cervical cancer through HPV vaccinations, with 14 million girls vaccinated in 2023, surpassing the number vaccinated in the previous decade.
The report highlights the significant progress made by Gavi in 2023, including the immunization of 69 million children, the second-highest number in a single year. The Alliance has now protected over 1.1 billion children with routine childhood vaccines since its inception in 2000. The economic benefits of these vaccinations to Gavi-supported countries since 2021 stand at a staggering US$ 52 billion.
Gavi’s co-financing model, which encourages countries to contribute to the cost of their immunization programs, has seen a record level of domestic resources mobilized in 2023, with US$ 215 million contributed. This marks a significant shift towards country ownership and sustainability.
The Alliance’s CEO, Dr. Sania Nishtar, emphasized the importance of continued funding to expand these gains and help countries sustain their own immunization programs. "Fully funding Gavi for its next five-year period will be crucial in expanding these hard-won gains and helping countries further along the pathway to fully sustaining their own immunization programs."
Gavi’s progress is not without challenges, however. The Alliance remains behind its target of reducing the number of "zero-dose" children, who have never received a single vaccine, by 25%. The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and fragility have made it harder to reach the most vulnerable populations.
Despite these challenges, Gavi remains committed to its mission of protecting the next generation. The Alliance is working with global health partners, governments, and communities to innovate and collaborate to achieve its goals.
As the world looks to the future, Gavi’s Chair, José Manuel Barroso, emphasized the importance of continued investment in vaccination efforts. "Vaccines are among the most powerful inventions in history. With continued and increased investment in Gavi, we can harness their power, saving millions of lives in the coming decades."
Gavi’s Impact, 2000-2023:
- 1.1 billion children vaccinated through routine programs
- 18.8 million future deaths averted
- 637 routine introductions and preventive campaigns launched
- US$ 250 billion in economic benefits generated
- US$ 1.7 billion contributed by lower-income countries through co-financing
About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance:
Gavi is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate more than half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. The 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. Learn more at www.gavi.org.