Vaccination enables children to grow up healthy, go to school, avoid medical debt, and allow communities to thrive. At the global Gavi High-Level Pledging Summit taking place in Brussels on 25 June, the EU and other global health champions must show their commitment to global health and invest in immunization - it is strategic and morally right thing to do.
As Brussels prepares to host the global Gavi High-Level Pledging Summit on 25 June, those working in global development and global health security will be watching closely. Co-hosts the European Union and Gates Foundation are two longstanding champions of global health, with a clear understanding of the life-saving power of vaccines.
This is potentially the most important summit in recent history, as scepticism grows around the relevance of international development and humanitarian assistance.
Immunization outreach and its results are unquestionably the biggest achievement of international development assistance. Thanks in great part to the immunization of millions of children against vaccine preventable diseases, under-five mortality has been halved since the beginning of this century – just 25 years.
Vaccination enables children to grow up healthy, go to school, avoid medical debt, and allow communities to thrive. Every €1 invested in immunization saves €21 in healthcare costs, and this rises to €54 when economic growth is factored in.
Yet, the shadow of the pandemic lingers. Today, 2.7 million additional children remain un- and under-vaccinated compared to pre-pandemic levels. In 2023 alone, 14.5 million children did not receive a single vaccine dose. These missed opportunities are not only a tragedy for those children and their families and communities but undermine the foundations of both global and European health security.
The COVID-19 pandemic, and recent outbreaks of infectious diseases - from measles and polio to Marburg, Ebola and mpox, have repeatedly shown that disease anywhere is a threat everywhere - whether we live within the wealthiest and safest borders of the EU, or in one of the most extremely challenging environments for children.
Within the Gavi Alliance, UNICEF and Save the Children play unique roles from the procurement of vaccines to strengthening health systems, from supporting community health workers to vaccinating children in the most difficult and vulnerable communities. Together, we have reached 1 billion children since 2000, and drastically reduced child mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases in supported countries.
Gavi’s 2026-2030 investment case (GAVI 6.0) presents its most ambitious vaccination strategy yet. With a full $9 billion in new pledges, it can reach 500 million children and save up to 9 million lives. The plan includes a landmark goal: vaccinating 50 million children against malaria – one of the deadliest threats to children.
Investing in Gavi is a smart, strategic move for a safer and healthier world for all. Since 2003, the EU has committed more than €3.2 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Recently European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed this leadership by announcing an early pledge of €260 million for Gavi’s 2026-2030 strategy.
This strategy prioritizes reaching zero-dose children, who have not received any critical childhood vaccines, in conflict zones, strengthening local health systems, building African vaccine manufacturing capacity, and preparing for emerging health threats which have been accelerated by climate change – all areas where European leadership has a clear role to play. Implementing countries are expected to fund over 40% of their own routine vaccine costs by 2030.
Immunization should remain central to global health. Security goes beyond building defence capacities, and competitiveness requires stable and reliable markets. For the EU and other global health champions, investing in immunization is strategically and morally right.
The health and future of millions of children hangs in the balance. Let's ensure we meet this moment with the ambition and resources it demands. Let’s not leave any child behind and let’s fulfil their right to health.
