"Immunization rates of children worldwide have reached a record high"

WHO: Vaccine effort saves 2.3m young lives; Immunization rates reach record high, review finds
By JOHN DONNELLY
Published: January 27, 2007
The Boston Globe

This article, highlights the involvement of everyone’s favorite Microsoft founder (and his wife) in improving vaccination coverage of children in some of the world’s poorest countries. Recognizing, in early 2000, that various US and UNICEF programs were beginning to fall apart and that childhood immunization rates were dropping in developing nations, Melinda and Bill Gates began to focus their time and money on remedying the growing childhood immunization problem found in developing nations. They founded the GAVI alliance and so far have personally committed $1.5 billion to the alliance ($750 million from 2000-present and $750 million more over the next ten years). GAVI has prevented 2.3 million deaths, covered 28 million additional children, and increased overall immunization rates to 77% for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis as of 2006. This was done with contributions of $983 million by GAVI along with $990 million from developed nations. These numbers are extremely impressive when considering the state of affairs in early 2000 and represent a complete reversal of these trends.

One of the problems associated with improving health outcomes in developing nations is the afflicted individuals’ or their government’s inability to afford the care they so desperately need. The disease can then spread and make the problem even more pronounced. This represents a good starting point in the improvement of public health in developing nations as those governments can help pass on some of the extensive costs to those in the developed world who can afford the treatments. Furthermore, as Bill Gates points out, it helps provide an infrastructure through which additional funding and vaccine distribution can occur.

Perhaps most interestingly, the GAVI alliance utilizes an incentive system to ensure the funding is going to the correct place and that those who need the care are truly benefiting from the millions contributed. They choose not to mandate how the money is spent, but only provide additional funding when the developing nations reach certain immunization coverage goals. The majority of nations (35 passed while only 5 failed) reach their respective immunization targets and receive additional funding (after verification by GAVI). This incentive scheme helps the two groups work together and helps overcome the “acceptance problem” whereby nations are sometime reluctant to utilize vaccines. Local governments are coordinated by the national governments and they work hard to reach their goals to secure additional funding. The acceptance of 70 “poor” nations will truly help improve childhood health worldwide.

Still, this foundation only provides money with which existing vaccines can be distributed, and is hardly enough for any one nation (who also lack the research facilities) to develop vaccines truly needed. Additionally, this alliance mainly deals with the three aforementioned conditions (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis). There are still many problems associated with HIV/AIDS, Polio, Malaria and Tuberculosis (to name a few) in the developing world, but these cures have either not be invented or are difficult to implement in developing countries. Raj’s entry (Nov. 12) highlights some additional problems found with providing vaccines to these nations.

This article shows how two individuals can begin changing the world by improving health outcomes for the truly poor. Their actions, along with their dedicated GAVI alliance, also inspired (or pushed) some developed nations into helping out. Through these kinds of initiatives, certain diseases may be eradicated and improve global health as was done with Smallpox in the previous century. The system is also overcoming some of the difficulties seen in previous attempts at improving vaccinations in developing nations and will hopefully innovate the way in which the international community deals with disease in developing nations. The extensive investments of a few private citizens will revolutionize healthcare in the areas that need it most while also setting up the infrastructure of a system by which developed nations can provide assistance to the neediest nations. Hopefully, a few more individuals/nations will be inspired by their actions so that humanity can turn the page on some of the most easily preventable diseases and focus on healthcare’s newest challenges.