The Gates Foundation has announced a new commitment of US$1.6 billion over the next five years to support Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in its ongoing mission to deliver lifesaving vaccines to children and prevent disease in the world’s most vulnerable communities.
The announcement was made on the foundation’s official website, reaffirming its long-standing partnership with Gavi.
The renewed support comes at a time when progress in global health is under pressure due to cuts in foreign aid and changing priorities among donor countries.
According to the foundation, international development programs have been severely impacted by declining budgets and shifting political priorities.
After years of stagnation, foreign assistance plummeted this year, putting at risk the hard-won progress in child survival and public health made over the last 25 years.
“For the first time in decades, the number of kids dying around the world will likely go up this year instead of down because of massive cuts to foreign aid. That is a tragedy,” warned Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation.
He said, “Fully funding Gavi is the single most powerful step we can take to stop it.
“The legacy of our generation cannot be that we looked away as millions of poor children died of preventable causes.
“The world now has affordable, effective, proven tools that save lives. Wealthy nations should fully fund Gavi and the Global Fund, the organizations created to get those products to the people who need them,” Gates added.
Spotlight on Gavi ahead of global summit
The announcement precedes the Global Summit: Health & Prosperity through Immunization, a pledging event for Gavi taking place on June 25 in Brussels, co-hosted by the European Union and the Gates Foundation.
At the summit, Gates will join global leaders, many of whom are expected to announce new commitments to Gavi’s mission.
The foundation noted that early donor pledges to Gavi reflect broad support for immunization as a high-impact investment, as well as confidence in multilateral collaboration to accelerate progress on global health.
“Since its launch 25 years ago, with initial support from the Gates Foundation and a group of founding partners, Gavi has helped cut child mortality in half,” the foundation stated.
To date, Gavi has vaccinated more than 1.1 billion children across 78 low-income countries, preventing nearly 19 million deaths from diseases such as measles, pneumonia, and diarrhea.
Gaps in access and growing health risks
Yet despite this progress, one in five children still lacks access to essential vaccines. Gavi has raised concerns about growing outbreaks of preventable diseases.
“Outbreaks of preventable diseases, including measles and meningitis, are increasing, threatening to reverse decades of gains,” the alliance warned.
At the core of Gavi’s strategy is its co-financing model, which emphasizes country ownership and long-term sustainability. As partner countries’ economies grow, they are expected to increase their contributions to national vaccine programs and eventually transition to full self-financing.
“Since 2000, 19 countries have successfully graduated from Gavi support,” the alliance said.
Indonesia’s Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, described Gavi’s model as unique in its ability to help countries build strong, self-sustaining immunization systems.
“Indonesia’s journey from a Gavi-supported country to a donor is a testament to what’s possible through true partnership,” he said.
Gates Foundation’s broader vaccine investment
Since 2000, the Gates Foundation has committed more than US$30.6 billion to advance vaccines, investing in their discovery, development, and distribution.
Of this, US$7.7 billion has been directed to Gavi, making it the foundation’s largest grantee.
“Today’s renewed commitment to Gavi comes on the heels of the foundation’s 25th anniversary announcement that it will spend $200 billion over the next 20 years to accelerate its mission to help all people live healthy, productive lives.
“During this time, the foundation will work together with its partners to make as much progress as possible towards three primary goals: ending preventable deaths of mothers and babies, preventing deadly infectious diseases in the next generation, and lifting millions out of poverty by expanding opportunities,” the foundation noted.
Beyond global health, the foundation will also focus on supporting U.S. students with pathways to opportunity, strengthening digital public infrastructure, leveraging AI for health, education, and agriculture, and promoting gender equality to help women access education, healthcare, and financial services.
