The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $1.6 billion over the next five years to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, reinforcing its role as a critical global health partner in delivering essential immunizations to vulnerable communities worldwide.
The commitment, announced on the foundation’s website on Tuesday, comes amid growing concerns over declining foreign aid budgets and their devastating impact on child survival rates.
“For the first time in decades, the number of children dying globally is projected to rise this year due to drastic cuts in international assistance,” warned Bill Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation. “Fully funding Gavi remains the most effective way to reverse this alarming trend.”
The foundation’s renewed support arrives during a period of global instability, with international development programs facing severe financial constraints and shifting political priorities. Foreign aid has sharply declined this year, jeopardizing decades of progress in public health and child mortality reduction.
“Our generation cannot stand by as millions of children die from preventable causes,” Gates emphasized. “With proven, cost-effective tools available, wealthy nations must fully support Gavi and the Global Fund to ensure life-saving interventions reach those in need.”
The funding announcement precedes the Global Summit: Health & Prosperity through Immunization, a high-level pledging conference for Gavi scheduled for June 25 in Brussels. Co-hosted by the European Union and the Gates Foundation, the event will bring together global leaders expected to announce additional commitments to Gavi’s mission.
Early donor pledges demonstrate strong international backing for immunization as a high-impact investment and confidence in multilateral cooperation to advance global health objectives.
Since its inception 25 years ago with initial Gates Foundation support, Gavi has played a pivotal role in cutting child mortality rates by half. The alliance has facilitated the vaccination of over 1.1 billion children across 78 low-income countries, preventing nearly 19 million deaths from diseases like measles, pneumonia, and diarrhea.
Despite these achievements, one in five children still lack access to basic vaccines, while resurgent outbreaks of preventable diseases threaten to undo decades of progress.
Gavi’s innovative co-financing model promotes sustainable immunization systems by gradually increasing recipient countries’ contributions as their economies grow. Since 2000, 19 nations have successfully transitioned to self-financing their vaccine programs.
“Gavi’s approach uniquely strengthens countries’ capacity to build self-sufficient immunization systems,” said Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Indonesia’s Minister of Health. “Our country’s evolution from Gavi beneficiary to donor exemplifies the transformative potential of genuine partnership.”
The Gates Foundation has invested more than $30.6 billion in vaccine development and distribution since 2000, including $7.7 billion directed to Gavi – making it the foundation’s largest grant recipient.
This latest commitment follows the foundation’s 25th anniversary pledge to allocate $200 billion over the next two decades toward three primary objectives: eliminating preventable maternal and child deaths, curbing deadly infectious diseases, and alleviating poverty through expanded opportunities.
Additional foundation priorities include improving educational pathways for U.S. students, strengthening digital infrastructure, leveraging AI advancements in health and agriculture, and promoting gender equality through improved access to education, healthcare, and financial services.
The funding boost comes as global health experts warn that nearly 14 million lives could be lost due to reductions in U.S. foreign aid, underscoring the urgent need for sustained international health investments.