Gavi

digitally colorized scanning electron microscopic (SEM) image, depicts a blue-colored, human white blood cell, (WBC) known specifically as a neutrophil, interacting with two pink-colored, rod shaped, multidrug-resistant (MDR), Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria

Global child deaths from pneumonia have been cut in half since 2009

Pneumonia kills 2,000 children under five worldwide every day, making it the world’s biggest infectious cause of death in children. The introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) has significantly lowered the burden of death and disease from pneumonia, but millions of children remain unvaccinated. Since the public-private global health partnership Gavi supported the first roll-out of the PCV vaccine in 2009, 438 million children of all ages have been vaccinated in 64 countries, averting an estimated total of 1.2 million deaths by the end of 2023.

A doctor is about to vaccinate a child

Sudan launches first malaria vaccine in landmark child health initiative

Malaria remains a leading cause of childhood mortality in Sudan, which has one of the highest malaria rates in the region. The disease claimed an estimated 7,900 lives in Sudan in 2023, though the actual toll may be higher due to ongoing conflict between rival militaries. The launch follows the arrival of the first consignment of 186,000 doses to Sudan in October and the campaign will begin across 15 health facilities in Gedaref and the Blue Nile states, benefitting more than 148,000 children under 12 months-old. In 2025 and 2026, the vaccine will be introduced in a further 129 localities.

Person filling syringe with vaccine

Global alliance buys half a million mpox vaccines for Africa

A batch of 500,000 mpox vaccines has been bought by the vaccine alliance Gavi, for delivery this year to virus-affected countries in Africa, where until now doses have been scarce. It is estimated that 10 million vaccines are needed to meet demand, but the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which accounts for most cases, only received 100,000 vaccines earlier this month despite having had more than 700 deaths this year and 22,000 cases of the new Clade 1b strain.

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