The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization is facing an “acute cash crisis” as the prices of life-saving vaccines surged while donor contributions stagnated. This is the main finding of the report published by the Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam International.
The 31-page report, entitled “Giving Developing Countries the Best Shot: An Overview of Vaccine Access and R&D,” revealed that health support to children in the poorest countries is experiencing an acute crisis. For instance, GAVI cannot provide most children with the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, or PCVs, because of funding gaps.
Oxfam Senior Policy Advisor Rohit Malpani said: “The newest vaccines continue to be produced by only a handful of multinational pharmaceutical companies whose oligopoly status allows them to charge high prices. Despite GAVI’s negotiating power, the price of new vaccines is too high.”
