Vaccine alliance fears million deaths from funding cuts

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The Gavi vaccine alliance, which proudly claims it vaccinates more than half the world’s children against deadly and debilitating diseases, is now seemingly next in line for United States (US) funding cuts.

The US is reportedly set to axe its funding as President Donald Trump slashes foreign aid spending — a move Gavi says could cost more than a million lives.

Founded in 2000 as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, Gavi was created to provide vaccines to developing countries.

The US has been on board from the start, as one of the six original donor countries. It now contributes around 15 percent of the regular budget. For the years 2026 to 2030, Washington made a funding pledge of at least $1.58 billion.

A public-private partnership, Gavi is a non-profit organization based in Geneva.

It works closely with the United Nations health and children’s agencies — the World Health Organization and UNICEF — the World Bank and the Gates Foundation, as well as vaccine manufacturers, research agencies and vaccine-administering countries.

Its chief executive Sania Nishtar is a medical doctor and former minister and senator in Pakistan. Former European Union chief Jose Manuel Barroso chairs the board.

Nishtar said the US cutting its funding would have a “disastrous impact” on global health security and potentially result in more than a million deaths from preventable diseases.

Some 97 percent of Gavi’s funding goes directly to vaccination programs, meaning that if 15 percent of the budget goes, vaccination campaigns will suffer.

Over 2026 to 2030, Gavi aims to protect 500 million children against 20 or so diseases — so by its calculations, 75 million fewer children would be vaccinated.

And if around nine million lives would be saved, that number could drop by 1.3 million.

Gavi is also worried about its ability to maintain its stockpiles of vaccines against diseases like Ebola, cholera and meningitis.