The Art of Making Vaccines More Affordable
By: Seth Berkley, MD
Vaccines are one of the most innovative tools in public health.
And finding innovative ways to deliver vaccines to children in developing countries is at the heart of our work at the GAVI Alliance, which brings together governments, UNICEF, WHO, the World Bank, vaccine manufacturers, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and private corporations working toward a common goal: saving lives and improving health by expanding access to immunization in developing countries.
Between 1980 and 2009, the world’s population more than doubled. Yet during that time, the number of diphtheria cases dropped by 99 percent, polio cases by 97 percent and measles and pertussis cases both by 95 percent. By increasing support for vaccines and immunization, we can carry such progress forward, not just to 2015 – the deadline for meeting the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – but beyond.
Imagine that in a world of 7 billion people and counting, by 2020 polio and measles could be eradicated, new vaccines for malaria and AIDS could be available and immunization coverage could be 90 percent.
