Pascal Canfin, minister delegate for development, met with Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVI Alliance (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization), on July 30.

They underscored the progress made in improving access to health care and vaccination for the most vulnerable, as well as the role that France intends to play in universal access to health care. The minister delegate for development emphasized that maternal and infant health remain a priority for French official development assistance.

Vaccination is a key aspect of public health policy. Thanks to vaccination, cases of diphtheria have fallen by 99% since 1980, while cases of polio have fallen by 97% and those of whooping cough and measles are down by 95%. But despite the considerable increase in vaccine coverage, millions of children are still not protected against fatal yet preventable diseases.

The GAVI Alliance brings together the governments of donor countries and developing countries, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the pharmaceutical industries of industrialized and developing countries, technical and research institutes, civil society organizations, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private charitable foundations. Since 2000, more than 326 million children have been vaccinated and more than 5.5 million premature deaths have been avoided thanks to programs financed by GAVI.