Despite huge strides, millions of children still missing out on life-saving vaccines
It was Nelson Mandela who said, “Life or death for a young child too often depends on whether he is born in a country where vaccines are available or not.” Introducing vaccines to developing countries has been one of the greatest public health feats of our century, with as much as a 70% reduction in the number of people dying from vaccine-preventable diseases achieved in the past two decades.
This quiet revolution means that today a child born in Mombasa will enjoy similar access to life-saving vaccines as a child born in Munich. Levelling this playing field between the world’s richest and poorest countries has required bold actions and innovations: aggregating demand to leverage economies of scale; introducing “vaccine bonds” to provide upfront financing for large-scale investments; incentivising vaccine manufacturers to develop affordable products; and forging purposeful partnerships with public and private institutions, as well as civil society...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.