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Global vaccine group Gavi has $9bn — short of its target
Global vaccine group Gavi has more than $9bn (R158.80bn) for its work over the next five years helping to immunise the world's poorest children, including money raised at a Brussels fundraising summit, it said on Wednesday.
The total, which Gavi announced at the end of the event, was less than targeted. It included new funding from governments and philanthropic donors, as well as money left after Covid-19 and other work. Gavi said more pledges were likely in the coming weeks.
Overall, the group was aiming to have $11.9bn (R209.97bn) for its work from 2026 to 2030 and wanted to raise at least $9bn at the summit without counting leftover money.
In an interview with Reuters, Gavi chief executive Sania Nishtar said the bulk of the total was new pledges but did not elaborate.
"In a very, very dire moment for global health ... This is far better than I had hoped it would be," said Nishtar.
The total did not include a pledge from the US. US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr said the US would no longer fund Gavi and accused it of ignoring vaccine safety, without citing any evidence.
