Alliance Sets Goal to Increase Child Vaccinations

[Guest guest]

Alliance Sets Goal to Increase Child Vaccinations

By Reaney

LONDON (Reuters) Feb 27 - An international alliance launched a campaign on

Friday to save the lives of one million children by 2006 by increasing

access to immunizations in the world's poorest countries.

The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) and The Vaccine

Fund, its financial arm, hope to raise $400 million annually from

governments and private sources to immunize 30 million children against

diseases such as polio, hepatitis and yellow fever.

" Our goal is to allow every child, everywhere in the world access to

immunizations, " Jacques-Francois , the president of The Vaccine Fund,

said at the London launch of the campaign.

Queen Rania of Jordan, a member of The Vaccine Fund Board, described the

loss of 10 million young lives to disease each year as a tragedy. Two to

three million youngsters die because they don't have access to basic

vaccinations.

" We are talking about little boys and girls and the healthy start to life

they all deserve, " she said. " Yet 8,000 of these children die every day from

diseases that we have the technology to prevent. "

GAVI was launched in 2000 to combat declining immunization rates and to

improve access to vaccinations in poor countries. It is a public-private

alliance between donor countries, vaccine manufacturers, developing

countries, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the World Bank,

non-governmental organizations and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Since its inception, GAVI estimates that more than 500,000 lives have been

saved and more than eight million children now have access to six basic

vaccines. Millions more have received new vaccines against killer diseases.

It has committed $1.3 billion to support immunization in the world's 75

poorest countries and disbursed $235 million in 69 nations.

[Guest guest]

Alliance Sets Goal to Increase Child Vaccinations

By Reaney

LONDON (Reuters) Feb 27 - An international alliance launched a campaign on

Friday to save the lives of one million children by 2006 by increasing

access to immunizations in the world's poorest countries.

The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) and The Vaccine

Fund, its financial arm, hope to raise $400 million annually from

governments and private sources to immunize 30 million children against

diseases such as polio, hepatitis and yellow fever.

" Our goal is to allow every child, everywhere in the world access to

immunizations, " Jacques-Francois , the president of The Vaccine Fund,

said at the London launch of the campaign.

Queen Rania of Jordan, a member of The Vaccine Fund Board, described the

loss of 10 million young lives to disease each year as a tragedy. Two to

three million youngsters die because they don't have access to basic

vaccinations.

" We are talking about little boys and girls and the healthy start to life

they all deserve, " she said. " Yet 8,000 of these children die every day from

diseases that we have the technology to prevent. "

GAVI was launched in 2000 to combat declining immunization rates and to

improve access to vaccinations in poor countries. It is a public-private

alliance between donor countries, vaccine manufacturers, developing

countries, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the World Bank,

non-governmental organizations and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Since its inception, GAVI estimates that more than 500,000 lives have been

saved and more than eight million children now have access to six basic

vaccines. Millions more have received new vaccines against killer diseases.

It has committed $1.3 billion to support immunization in the world's 75

poorest countries and disbursed $235 million in 69 nations.

[Guest guest]

Alliance Sets Goal to Increase Child Vaccinations

By Reaney

LONDON (Reuters) Feb 27 - An international alliance launched a campaign on

Friday to save the lives of one million children by 2006 by increasing

access to immunizations in the world's poorest countries.

The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) and The Vaccine

Fund, its financial arm, hope to raise $400 million annually from

governments and private sources to immunize 30 million children against

diseases such as polio, hepatitis and yellow fever.

" Our goal is to allow every child, everywhere in the world access to

immunizations, " Jacques-Francois , the president of The Vaccine Fund,

said at the London launch of the campaign.

Queen Rania of Jordan, a member of The Vaccine Fund Board, described the

loss of 10 million young lives to disease each year as a tragedy. Two to

three million youngsters die because they don't have access to basic

vaccinations.

" We are talking about little boys and girls and the healthy start to life

they all deserve, " she said. " Yet 8,000 of these children die every day from

diseases that we have the technology to prevent. "

GAVI was launched in 2000 to combat declining immunization rates and to

improve access to vaccinations in poor countries. It is a public-private

alliance between donor countries, vaccine manufacturers, developing

countries, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the World Bank,

non-governmental organizations and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Since its inception, GAVI estimates that more than 500,000 lives have been

saved and more than eight million children now have access to six basic

vaccines. Millions more have received new vaccines against killer diseases.

It has committed $1.3 billion to support immunization in the world's 75

poorest countries and disbursed $235 million in 69 nations.

[Guest guest]

Alliance Sets Goal to Increase Child Vaccinations

By Reaney

LONDON (Reuters) Feb 27 - An international alliance launched a campaign on

Friday to save the lives of one million children by 2006 by increasing

access to immunizations in the world's poorest countries.

The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) and The Vaccine

Fund, its financial arm, hope to raise $400 million annually from

governments and private sources to immunize 30 million children against

diseases such as polio, hepatitis and yellow fever.

" Our goal is to allow every child, everywhere in the world access to

immunizations, " Jacques-Francois , the president of The Vaccine Fund,

said at the London launch of the campaign.

Queen Rania of Jordan, a member of The Vaccine Fund Board, described the

loss of 10 million young lives to disease each year as a tragedy. Two to

three million youngsters die because they don't have access to basic

vaccinations.

" We are talking about little boys and girls and the healthy start to life

they all deserve, " she said. " Yet 8,000 of these children die every day from

diseases that we have the technology to prevent. "

GAVI was launched in 2000 to combat declining immunization rates and to

improve access to vaccinations in poor countries. It is a public-private

alliance between donor countries, vaccine manufacturers, developing

countries, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the World Bank,

non-governmental organizations and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Since its inception, GAVI estimates that more than 500,000 lives have been

saved and more than eight million children now have access to six basic

vaccines. Millions more have received new vaccines against killer diseases.

It has committed $1.3 billion to support immunization in the world's 75

poorest countries and disbursed $235 million in 69 nations.