$7bn required to prevent 3.2m deaths in 29 countries

From the time of its takeoff in 2000, GAVI has helped around 33 member countries of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) introduce vaccines against yellow fever, hepatitis B, meningitis and Haemophilus influenza Type B (Hib) disease. With support from the IDB, GAVI expects to roll out vaccines against two of the biggest killers of children in developing countries – diarrhea and pneumonia – as well as new and underused vaccines, including human papillomavirus (HPV) against cervical cancer, Japanese encephalitis, typhoid and rubella.

Recently, IDB) and GAVI alliance agreed to intensify the provision of life-saving vaccines in IDB member countries.

“We are joining hands with the IDB to accelerate the introduction of life-saving vaccines in IDB member countries and ensure that children have a healthy start in life,” said Seth Berkley, CEO, GAVI adding that “we also aim to increase the uptake of new and underused vaccines in these countries and hopefully generate new sources of funding.”

If the agreement reached between GAVI and IDB is anything to go by, then by 2020, GAVI would vaccinate more than 400 million children in at least 29 member countries with the objective of preventing 3.2 million deaths. An estimated US$7 billion has been estimated to help achieve this goal.

According to Ahmad Mohamed Ali, chairman of IDB Group, “we are happy to enter into a cooperation agreement with GAVI to save the lives of millions of children in member countries,

thereby playing a major role against child mortality. At the initial stage, IDB will try to support the governments of selected member countries to implement the vaccination program through its ‘triple win financing model’ in which it will seek collaboration with other partners while also providing the recipient countries the opportunity to contribute a portion of the cost along with IDB.” For him, such synergy will allow country participation and long term financing will be feasible.

The IDB intervention in the health sector has surpassed over US$ 2 billion since inception, with over 30% approved during the last three years (2010-2012). The Bank’s Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD) is the arm dedicated for supporting poverty reduction interventions with focus on health of the poor.

KEMI AJUMOBI