Recent news
February 2011
Kenya launches new vaccine purchased through innovative financing mechanism
February 15, 2011 -- On Monday, Kenya began immunizing children with a new vaccine to protect against pneumonia—the world's leading killer of children younger than age five. Kenya is one of 19 developing countries that will introduce the vaccine this year.
The vaccine was purchased through the first Advance Market Commitment (AMC), a unique funding effort to bring pneumococcal vaccines to millions of children worldwide. The first AMC was launched by the GAVI Alliance, the World Bank, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and five national governments in June 2009. The introduction of a pneumococcal vaccine through the AMC is projected to prevent an estimated 900,000 deaths by 2015 and more than seven million deaths by 2030.
Although it is still too early to gauge the full impact of the AMC, the launch of an AMC-purchased vaccine in 19 low-income countries is a mid-term indicator that the mechanism can be successful in increasing access and lowering prices. It also underscores why the United States should consider engaging with future AMCs. It is crucial that the vaccine research pipeline receives support from a wide range of partners, including the United States, to ensure success. See the links below for more information.
