FILE - In this Wednesday, May 30, 2018 file photo, a health care worker from the World Health Organization prepares vaccines to give to front line aid workers, in Mbandaka, Congo. The vaccine alliance GAVI announced on Dec. 5, 2019 it would invest $178 million to create a global stockpile of about 500,000 Ebola vaccines, in a move health officials say could help prevent future outbreaks from spiraling out of control.
In 2022, 4.9 million children under the age of 5 died due mostly to preventable health problems like diarrhea, pneumonia and measles. But there is a proven strategy to fix this. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is an international partnership that provides essential support for locally-led vaccine programs worldwide. Since its inception, Gavi has helped vaccinate over 1 billion children around the world, saving 17.3 million lives.
World leaders are coming together to reinvest in Gavi this year. To help set the tone for the global community, I urge Congress and the Biden administration to make a bold, multi-year pledge for Gavi of no less than $1.4 billion over the next four years. Let’s make sure our medical innovations are actually put to work preventing the diseases they aim to end.Joel K.