13.06.11
Lib Dems celebrate amended reforms
The charity Save the Children has urged the Government for funding for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) to use to provide immunisation for 243 million children by the year 2015.
A conference is being held in London on June 13 to encourage world leaders and international organisations to donate to the target of £4.2bn, £1.9bn of which has already been pledged.
The charity's chief executive, Justin Forsyth said: "World leaders have to find the funds, the private sector has to supply the vaccines at special discount prices, and developing world governments have to prioritise the delivery of vaccines, through their national health services, to help millions more children survive."
Around 24 million children in the world’s poorest countries do not receive any vaccines, and there are about two million deaths each year from diseases which are preventable with vaccinations. The countries worst affected include Chad, India and Nigeria. Immunised children are more than six times more likely to survive than those who do not receive any vaccines, and there is the potential to help many more.
The money will go towards new vaccines as well as paying for the training of doctors and nurses to ensure the distribution and administration of the drugs. Drug companies have already started cutting the prices of their vaccines for use in the developing world.
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