Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, a global initiative dedicated to improving access to vaccines, averted over 1.3 million future deaths in 2023, according to its 2023 Annual Progress Report.
This remarkable achievement, equivalent to saving more than two lives per minute, was made possible by large-scale vaccination programmes across the globe, further solidifying Gavi’s role in global public health.
The report highlights historic progress in the fight against cervical cancer, as 14 million girls were vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) in 2023, exceeding the number of girls vaccinated in the previous ten years combined.
The Vaccine Alliance efforts in HPV vaccinations have helped prevent more than 600,000 future deaths and are on track to reach 86 million girls by 2025.
In total, Gavi immunised 69 million children in 2023, marking the second-highest number of children vaccinated in a single year.
Since Gavi’s inception in 2000, more than 1.1 billion children have been protected through routine immunisation programmes, with the economic benefits to Gavi-supported countries estimated at US$52 billion since 2021.
José Manuel Barroso, Chair of the Gavi Board, highlighted the broader impact of vaccination programmes.
“By vaccinating children and the vulnerable, we not only enable millions of people to lead healthier, more fulfilled lives, we contribute to families’ prosperity, to strong and more stable communities, and to economic development that is already translating into countries paying more towards their immunisation programmes than ever before,” Barroso said.
Domestic investment in immunisation also reached a record level, with Gavi-supported countries mobilising US$215 million in 2023. This was the largest amount ever contributed by these countries, a key aspect of Gavi’s approach to sustainability.
As of 2023, 55 vaccination programmes initially launched with Gavi funding are now fully financed by national governments, reflecting increasing financial ownership of immunisation efforts.
Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, commended the progress despite challenging global circumstances.
“Gavi countries are on the front line of climate change, with many vulnerable to economic instability and geopolitical tension: for them to be able to immunise more children, not to mention expand important programmes such as HPV, deserves recognition,” she said.
“Fully funding Gavi for its next five-year period will be crucial in expanding these hard-won gains and helping countries further along the pathway to fully sustaining their own immunisation programmes.”
While the Alliance is on track to meet most of its goals for the 2021-2025 period, it faces challenges in reducing the number of “zero-dose” children—those who have never received a vaccine.
In 2023, this number rose to 11 million, underscoring the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and fragility in reaching the most vulnerable.
Looking ahead, Gavi aims to meet a US$9 billion funding target for its 2026-2030 strategic period, which will be crucial for expanding vaccine protection against more diseases and preparing the world for future pandemics.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, emphasized the importance of continued investment in Gavi: “Vaccines are among the most powerful inventions in history. With continued and increased investment in Gavi, we can harness their power, saving millions of lives in the coming decades.”
Since its founding in 2000, Gavi has vaccinated over 1.1 billion children, helped avert more than 18.8 million future deaths, and generated over US$250 billion in economic benefits for lower-income countries, cementing its legacy as a transformative force in global health.
