On 4 June, the third replenishment conference of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, will be held, with the ambitious goal of reaching at least $7.4 billion in additional funding for 2021-2025. Over the past 20 years, Gavi has helped to vaccinate 760 million children against preventable diseases and has saved more than 13 million lives. Currently, the organisation helps vaccinate almost half the world’s children. In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, Gavi’s work is more crucial than ever and could give the most vulnerable populations access to the future vaccine.
France’s previous contribution to Gavi helped save 700,000 lives and vaccinate nearly 41 million children. As a historic player in global health through its political and financial commitment, France must more than ever rise to the global health crisis we are living through. That is why we are asking Emmanuel Macron to renew France’s funding to Gavi at €250 million for 2021-2025.
Three Youth Ambassadors working in the health sector wanted to explain why Gavi’s work is so crucial. Read their testimonies.
Latame Komla Adoli, 25, doctor
My name is Latame Komla ADOLI. I am a general practitioner and currently doing a Master’s in development economics, health economics track, at the Clermont-Ferrand school of economics. I am Togolese and I am 25.
“Better health is essential to happiness and well-being. Better health also makes an important contribution to economic progress, as healthy populations live longer, are more productive and save more” (World Health Organization, 2009)
For me, health is the fundamental element of a person’s existence. It must therefore be at the centre of our countries’ policies. But we must acknowledge that, despite our leaders’ countless efforts, much remains to be done. The number of patients we see at the hospital every day for pneumonia, diarrhoea, rotavirus, measles, in short for preventable diseases, keeps rising, which shows how much remains to be done in this sector. It is therefore right and fair to pay particular attention to health issues because the stakes are high.
Prevention is better than cure, as the saying goes. So, in my view, we need to devote more effort to preventing diseases, especially preventable ones. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, works to enable equitable access to vaccination, an effective means of preventing several diseases. Supporting Gavi would therefore allow more children to be healthy, lead a normal life and contribute to our countries’ development. This campaign is therefore essential and deserves support.
This year, Gavi is replenishing its funds for 2021-2025. To allow it to continue, or even improve, its actions, it is essential to support it. This is a subject that concerns us all, whatever our origin, if only out of pure solidarity.
In January 2020, ONE launched a petition aiming to collect as many signatures as possible to prove to our leaders that this subject is far from being a minority concern and is instead everyone’s business. By signing this petition, you too contribute to this fight that concerns us all. By signing, you make your voice heard in favour of a fairer and more caring world when it comes to access to health, so you know what to do.
Joya Madi, 28, pharmacist
One of today’s biggest health challenges lies in communities that do not have regular access to prevention. These are the ones most at risk of ending up at the epicentre of deadly epidemics and pandemics. Such epidemics risk not only jeopardising the hard-won progress of routine vaccination programmes but also threaten global health security because of the considerable increase in human mobility.
But don’t be afraid, because Gavi is here!
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, runs campaigns aimed at improving access to life-saving vaccines and routine immunisation for certain preventable diseases. Gavi has changed the lives of millions of people in low-income countries. Since its creation, the organisation has protected an entire generation of children, 760 million of them, from potentially deadly infectious diseases.
“Prevention is better than cure.” The proverb says it all!
I am a pharmacist. My background has given me experience and knowledge about health risks. That is not the case for everyone. When I ran a pharmacy in Lebanon for more than 3 years, my duty was mainly to raise people’s awareness that certain preventable diseases and health problems can be avoided through simple gestures!
My experience has taught me that the best solution is prevention. Preventive initiatives often have a greater impact than palliative measures.
That is why, today, I invite you to join me and support Gavi in this fight to build a safe world and let new generations flourish in life. Your voice is crucial and your signature counts! By signing the petition, you call on world leaders and help Gavi continue its vaccination campaigns in the most vulnerable countries. Vaccinated communities will be healthier, will be able to get a better education and household economies will be boosted. A simple vaccine can let the new generation, women and men, be more productive, and all of that largely thanks to you!
Mario Jendrossek, 25, epidemiologist
My name is Mario and I am a young epidemiologist working on infectious disease control. The COVID-19 pandemic is currently demonstrating the importance of disease control for all countries, their populations, economies and education systems.
As a health professional, I get up every day to improve access to care and health systems because our health and that of our loved ones is a primary need for every human being. As a committed citizen, I see health as a keystone for development because health problems harm education as well as economic development. Health is therefore a central issue for equality of opportunity.
ONE’s campaign in favour of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, aims to ensure that France remains mobilised within Gavi’s multilateral funding. Since its creation in 2000, Gavi has vaccinated 760 million children and saved 13 million lives. For this organisation to continue this remarkable work, whose exemplary nature has been recognised many times, Gavi must renew its funding in 2020. Our campaign simply asks France to renew its contribution at €250 million over the next five years and thus confirm its commitment alongside Gavi.
I think we must mobilise because we must not take past successes for granted. In a context of strong budget constraints, politicians tend to cut development budgets. A renewed commitment would be a strong signal to mobilise other contributors and enable Gavi to reach its ambitious goals. It would also show that France lives up to its international ambitions.