Reuters AlertNet Lite - DAVOS-Record number of poor country kids get vaccines

Reuters AlertNet Full site

NEWSDESK

DAVOS-Record number of poor country kids get vaccines

26 Jan 2007 07:30:05 GMT
Source: Reuters

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Record numbers of children in poor countries are receiving life-saving vaccines, thanks to a major investment programme backed by the private sector and governments.

Figures released on Friday at the World Economic Forum estimated immunisation funded by the GAVI Alliance in developing countries had avoided some 2.3 million early deaths since 2000.

The total for 2006 alone was 600,000, according to World Health Organisation estimates.

Despite the progress, however, more than 2 million children in poor countries still die each year because they have not received immunisations that are taken for granted in the industrialised world.

Melinda Gates, who with her husband and Microsoft <MSFT.O> founder Bill Gates has committed $1.5 billion to GAVI, said the GAVI partnership was spearheading a major turnaround in children's health.

"When GAVI was founded, immunisation rates in poor countries were on the decline. Today, they are at an all-time high," she said.

GAVI has also received funding from 17 donor governments and has committed $2.6 billion to support national immunisation programmes in more than 70 countries since its inception in 2000.

AlertNet news is provided by

Email this article Send comments

Topics

• Children

MORE >>

NGO latest

• WER sends emergency shipment to Middle East as Iraqi refugee crisis grows
WER - UK

• Dream Seed Event Lights Up Federation Square for New Years Eve Spectacular
Save the Children - Australia

• Investing in ‘Peace through Loans’
WV MEERO - Cyprus

• Investing in ‘Peace through Loans’
WV MEERO - Cyprus

• Clothes and Stationary for school children in South Lebanon
WV MEERO - Cyprus

MORE >>

Latest news

• DAVOS-Record number of poor country kids get vaccines

• US manual outlines when to isolate sick passengers

• IAEA chief says attack on Iran would be catastrophe

• US panel backs Sanofi combination vaccine for kids

• ZAMBIA: Shielding children from their HIV status does more harm than good

MORE >>

Last updated:Fri Jan 26 07:31:26 2007