Vaccines; A Best Buy in Global Health

Everyone deserves a shot at life. Studies show that vaccines reduce childhood morbidity and mortality while simultaneously being cost-effective. Many vaccines for children only cost a few cents including measles (23 cents), polio (13 cents) and meningitis (50 cents). Vaccines save lives and are a great return on investment. For every one year increase in average life expectancy, countries achieve an average 4% increase in GDP per capita (Bloom et al, 2004). It is well worth the research efforts to improve life quality and reduce childhood mortality. While we know that health research is a long-term process, our investments in life-saving vaccines and other global health research have yielded effective partnerships and major success stories.

Today, many innovative partnerships are working together to pool expertise and address the research and accessibility challenges associated with vaccine and many global health efforts. One of today’s greatest success stories is a private-public partnership (PPP), the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations Initiative (GAVI). Using innovative financing mechanisms to bolster support for vaccines in the developing world, GAVI distributed routine immunizations like measles, tetanus, polio, hepatitis B, and pertussis in over 70 countries. To date, GAVI’s efforts have prevented the deaths of 5 million children (WHO-UNICEF coverage estimates for 1980-2009, as of July 2010).

We need to continue to support organizations like GAVI that embody research and innovation at its finest. As the GAVI pledging conference is around the corner (June 13th, London), we
need to remember that vaccines are the tool we need to save lives and the best buy in global health we have available to us to bring hope and a future to the world’s children and communities. The time to provide others with a shot at life is now.