World Leaders Commit Billions for Global Vaccines

WASHINGTON — Earlier today at The Global Vaccine Summit hosted by the UK Government, donors from around the world committed $8.8B billion to help Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, immunize children in the world’s poorest countries, improve health systems and strengthen vaccine supply and distribution chains – which will save millions of lives from diseases such as measles, polio, and pneumonia. Additionally, donors made commitments and statements, like President Trump’s, to urge global cooperation on defeating the coronavirus.

“The pledges made today will help to protect hundreds of millions of children around the world and mark a vital vote of confidence in our ability to beat diseases everywhere,” said Gayle Smith, CEO and President of The ONE Campaign. “What makes Gavi so special is that it takes the best of humanity and weaponizes it against disease – the science to create life-saving vaccines, the ingenuity to get them to every corner of the planet and the determination to work together to protect the most vulnerable. This is the best blueprint we have for beating diseases like COVID-19 so it’s especially encouraging to have further commitments not just to find the tools to beat the virus but to get them wherever they’re needed.”

“Today’s generous commitment by the United States is a significant and smart investment in the health and safety of children in the world’s poorest countries and in the US,” said Tom Hart, North America executive director for The ONE Campaign. “Even with today’s success, we still have urgent work to do on COVID-19. As the president underscored today, the coronavirus does not respect borders and defeating it will take global cooperation. The US and other donors must build on this momentum and act urgently to develop and distribute an equitable vaccine to defeat the coronavirus. As Congress continues to negotiate resources to fight the pandemic, it’s incumbent on them to maintain the United States’ global leadership in the fight against preventable disease and support a global pandemic response package to support Gavi and other organizations working to end this global health emergency.”

President Trump addressing the Gavi conference: “As the coronavirus has shown, there are no borders, it doesn’t discriminate, it’s mean and it’s nasty. But we’re all going to take care of it together. It’s great to be partnering with you. we will work hard and we will work strong. Let’s get the answer.” Watch the clip here.

As part of the conference, the United States committed $1.16 billion over four years. This includes the $290 million in the Fiscal Year 2021 President’s Budget proposal. ONE recognizes and thanks USAID for its expanded commitment to Gavi.

In total, these commitments will ensure Gavi is fully funded for the next 5 years, which will enable the organization to deliver vital vaccines to over 300 million children, saving up to 8 million lives – and ensuring that many more benefit from a safer, healthier start to life.