GAVI’s confirmed that it will hold its first “replenishment meeting” on 6 October in New York as its Board agreed in principle to move forward with funding for applications from 15 developing countries and also agreed in principle to call for a new round of applications to support country immunization programs, and. Donors and potential donors “will be invited to come with firm financial commitments to support GAVI’s immunisation programmes.”  GAVI said its Board “heard that it (GAVI) needs US$4.3 billion between now and 2015 if it is to continue its current programmes and roll out new vaccines against pneumococcal disease and rotavirus to more than 40 countries. This figure includes an additional US$ 2.6 billion over and above current levels of funding.”

GAVI Board Chair Mary Robinson. “Children have a right to health and we have it in our power to set them on a path to healthy and productive lives. There comes a time to stop talking and start doing. I sincerely hope that we will see donors put their money on the table. Without this funding for immunisation, the world will not reach Millennium Development Goal 4 to reduce under-five mortality by two-thirds by 2015.”  http://www.gavialliance.org/media_centre/press_releases/2010_06_18_donors_increased_funding.php

In a Financial Times (15 June 2010) article, GAVI CEO Julian Lob-Levyt, commenting on the funding shortfall, said: “The board has been pretty responsible, but we will need to raise more funding if we are to roll out vaccines as fast as planned. Did anyone anticipate the international financial crisis? We have a prioritisation strategy that will focus on having the maximum impact.” The article notes that “…to help maintain its plans, the board may seek $500M-$700M in cost savings, including a $50M cut in support it provides to the World Health Organisation, more aggressive negotiations on vaccine prices with pharmaceutical companies, and demands that richer developing countries make larger contributions to the cost of the immunisation programmes.”

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6b378748-7875-11df-942a-00144feabdc0.html