When Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance announced last week in Berlin that it had reached its target of $7.5 billion in pledges for the organization's 2016-2020 replenishment, many global development actors were relieved.
But one stakeholder now warns that even if the funds have been committed, actually implementing the programs and achieving global vaccination goals will be no easy task. It's “not going to be a walk in the park,” Save the Children International CEO Jasmine Whitbread said in an interview with Devex.
Gavi confirmed last week during its second replenishment conference in Berlin that it plans “to immunize an additional 300 million children between 2016 and 2020, helping to save an estimated 5 to 6 million lives.” The question now is who will be left out and how can Gavi and its implementing partners scale up efforts to ensure that no child is left behind?
About the author
Musa Okwonga
Musa Okwonga is a journalist, poet, broadcaster, musician, and PR consultant currently based in Berlin, Germany. He has written for several publications, including The Guardian, The New Statesman, ESPN and The New York Times, and is the author of two books on football, the first of which, A Cultured Left Foot, was nominated for the 2008 William Hill Sports Book of the Year. Find out more about his work at www.okwonga.com.
