Did you know that an astonishing 19 million children miss out on the most basic package of routine vaccines recommended by World Health Organization?
This sounds a little unfair to me don’t you think?
Luckily there is an organization called Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance that has been incredibly successful in getting vaccines to children in the poorest countries in the world.
CDC Global - Girl Receiving Oral Polio Vaccine
Here are a couple of things about Gavi we thought you should know--
Vaccines are the most cost-effective way to advance global health, which is why everyone needs to get behind Gavi’s efforts.
Gavi recently released their 2014 Annual Report highlighting the outstanding work they’ve done throughout the year.
So what does this success look like?
Child mortality in children under 5 years old fell from 77 deaths to 69 deaths per 1000 live births between 2010 and 2013 because of the acceleration of Gavi-supported vaccines.
and
3.1 million were prevented because of Gavi’s work funding vaccine campaigns in developing countries between 2011 to 2014.
Of course this great work cannot be done alone. Gavi works with many dedicated partners such as UNICEF, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, World Health Organization, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and USAID. Increasing access to vaccines in the developing world is one of Gavi’s primary goals.
For a better understanding of how Gavi works, let’s take a look at India.
In 2014, India was declared Polio free! This is an achievement many doubted would ever happen--especially considering that up until 2009, India accounted for half of the Polio case in the world. In partnership with Gavi, the new government’s eagerness to introduce vaccines resulted in the tremendously successful Universal Immunisation Programme. This success illustrates that Gavi’s model works - millions of lives are being saved, health systems are being strengthened, and governments are investing in immunization programs.
Last October, India was able to scale up its coverage of the pentavalent vaccine (which combats preventable diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Hepatitis-B, and Haemophilus influenzae Type B). Gavi helped accelerate access to vaccines through immunization campaigns emphasizing that children received all the dosages required. The partnership between Gavi and India has been so successful that in 2016, the Indian Government will take up the full? cost of the pentavalent vaccine. With initiatives like this in 73 countries, Gavi is working hard to achieve its long-term goal of reducing global childhood mortality overall.
Pratham Books is a not-for-profit trust that seeks to publish high-quality books for children at a affordable cost in multiple Indian languages. Pratham Books is trying to create a shift in the paradigm for publishing childrens books in India. The low cost model proves that childrens literature can be attractive and affordable and therefore more accessible.
Gavi has helped immunize more than half a billion children so far around the world and prevented over 6 million deaths from vaccine preventable diseases. The death of one child is already too much-- there is a lot we can do to reach children who lack access to vaccinations. Gavi’s immunization initiatives illustrate the power of equal access for all children.
So let’s not overlook this life saving tool to alleviate extreme poverty by 2030 because #vaccineswork
You can TAKE ACTION NOW by calling on leaders to support the vaccination efforts around the world.