• 25 Jun, 2025
• Faith Kegh
• comments off

Gavi Seeks Renewed Funding Amid Declining Global Vaccination Rates.

The rollout of the pentavalent vaccine in Nigeria is projected to save over 30,000 children’s lives each year. Now, Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, is r

equesting \$9 billion in funding over the next five years during a pledging summit in Brussels. This appeal comes amid serious concerns that global childhood immunisation targets for 2030 are unlikely to be met without significant action.

According to a study published in The Lancet, only high-income countries are currently on track to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) goal of reducing the number of zero-dose children those who have received no routine vaccinations by half compared to 2019 levels.

The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), which conducted the analysis using data from the 2023 Global Burden of Disease study, highlighted the need for more equitable and locally adapted immunisation strategies. Achieving the WHO’s 2030 goal of 90% coverage for key vaccines including DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), measles, and pneumococcal vaccines—remains a major challenge. As of now, only 18 out of 204 countries have met that benchmark.

In 2023, around 15.7 million children worldwide had not received any DTaP vaccinations in their first year of life. Over half of them were concentrated in just eight countries. Nigeria led the list with 2.5 million unvaccinated children, followed by India, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Indonesia, and Brazil.

Somalia had the lowest childhood vaccination rate globally in 2023, with just 25.7% of children vaccinated. South Sudan followed with 56.3%. Several other countries, including Guinea, Angola, and Madagascar, had rates below 75%.

Dr. Emily Haeuser, lead author of the study, emphasized that effective vaccination programs must be responsive to public beliefs and concerns. Building trust, working with community leaders, and implementing culturally tailored approaches are key to increasing vaccine acceptance and coverage.

In advance of the summit, the Gates Foundation announced a \$1.6 billion commitment to Gavi over five years. Bill Gates stated that declining foreign aid could reverse decades of progress in child mortality, calling full funding for Gavi a critical step.

The summit is co-hosted by the European Union and the Gates Foundation. However, global vaccine funding is under strain, with sharp reductions in international aid over the past year. The situation has been further complicated by political shifts in the United States.

Although the Biden administration previously pledged \$1.58 billion to Gavi, the current U.S. budget under the Trump administration does not allocate any funding for the alliance. Mark Lloyd, recently appointed as the U.S. representative to Gavi’s board, has drawn criticism due to his past controversial statements and affiliations.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to speak at the summit. Kennedy, known for his critical views on vaccines, recently dismissed the CDC’s entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and replaced it with a smaller group that includes several vaccine skeptics. This move has raised concerns during one of the worst measles outbreaks in the U.S. in three decades.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy has called for the postponement of ACIP’s upcoming meeting, arguing that the current panel lacks the required expertise and balance, and that proceeding without a CDC Director could undermine public trust in vaccine guidance.

Faith Kegh

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