Story Summary: The majority of vaccines financed through GAVI is purchased by Alliance member UNICEF. Data presented by Ibrahim El-Ziq, Chief of the Immunization Center at UNICEFs Supply Division, indicated that by 2010 his agency expects to pay US$ 2. 83 per dose by 2012, for a total reduction of 22% over an eight-year period. Clearly, industry understands and responds to a market, regardless of whether that market is in poor or rich countries. GAVIs business model is based on the expectation that rising demand for immunisation in developing countries induces more companies to produce vaccines, thus creating competition and driving prices down. For example, many middle-income countries are viewed as more likely to adopt the pentavalent vaccine now that its price is headed below US$ 3 for the poorest countries. There are two ways to increase the number of children we can reach with life-saving vaccines, Dr Lob-Levyt said. Secondly we can push to bring vaccine prices down further. Over 250 million children vaccinated four million deaths avertedNew data, released by the Alliance today, shows that by the end of 2009 more than four million premature deaths caused by pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B will be prevented through GAVI support. We have now vaccinated 256 million children in the poorest countries through GAVI support. The number of deaths averted as a result vindicates the decision we made ten years ago to create a unified effort to speed new and underused vaccines to the worlds most vulnerable children, said Daisy Mafubelu, Assistant Director-General for Family and Community Health at the World Health Organization. At the Hanoi meeting, GAVI Board Chair Mary Robinson noted that progress in immunisation coverage and price decline must be tempered by the fact that more than 20 million children in the world today continue to go without basic life-saving vaccines. The GAVI Alliance is a Geneva-based public-private partnership aimed at improving health in the worlds poorest countries. GAVI support consists of providing life-saving vaccines and strengthening health systems….Read the Full Story

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