The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged a massive $1.6 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to help protect children around the world with life-saving vaccines over the next five years.
The commitment comes as the world faces serious cuts in foreign aid, risking decades of progress in reducing child deaths. Bill Gates, the Foundation’s chair, warned that without urgent support, more children could die from preventable diseases.
“Fully funding Gavi is the single most powerful step we can take to stop it,” Gates said.
The new pledge was announced ahead of the Global Summit in Brussels, co-hosted by the European Union and the Gates Foundation. The summit will gather global leaders to rally more support for vaccine programs, especially in vulnerable communities.
Since it began 25 years ago, Gavi has helped vaccinate over 1.1 billion children in 78 low-income countries, saving nearly 19 million lives from diseases like measles, pneumonia, and diarrhoea.
Despite this progress, one in five children still don’t have access to essential vaccines, and recent outbreaks of measles and meningitis are putting more lives at risk.
The Gates Foundation highlighted that Gavi’s model focuses on partnership and sustainability. As countries’ economies grow, they gradually take on more responsibility for their vaccine programs. So far, 19 countries have transitioned to fully fund their own efforts.
This renewed donation is part of the Foundation’s broader plan to invest $200 billion over the next 20 years in global health, education, and poverty reduction.
With this bold step, the Gates Foundation continues its mission to ensure that every child, no matter where they live, gets a fair shot at life.