UK chancellor announces new type of fund to provide $4bn vaccine aid
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《英国医生杂志》
Gordon Brown, the United Kingdom's chancellor of the exchequer, launched a unique funding initiative last week that will provide an extra $4bn (￡2.2bn; 3.3bn) to step up immunisation programmes in developing countries over the next 10 years. The initiative should save an estimated five million children's lives.
Mr Brown has been lobbying for support for the plan, which is called the international finance facility for immunisation, since he came up with the idea in January 2003. He described the scheme as a "breakthrough" in aid that will release new funds for extra vaccines in more than 70 of the world's poorest countries "almost immediately."
The new finance facility, which is supported by contributions from the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is the first pilot in what Mr Brown hopes will become a standard method of securing backing for long term development projects. It raises funds by borrowing money on the international bonds market against commitments of future aid.
The $4bn which has been promised for the next 10 years will go to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation to boost its delivery of combination vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type B, as well as mass immunisations against measles and tetanus. "Blanket rather than partial immunisation will be available," said Mr Brown. Funding vaccine programmes in this way will also help to further reduce the prices of vaccines and encourage the development of new vaccines against diseases such as HIV and malaria through advance purchase schemes, he said.
Every year two to three million of the 10 million children who die before they reach the age of 5 die from diseases that can be prevented by vaccines. The global alliance, which was established in 2000 to increase immunisation rates in developing countries, estimates that the new funds will help to prevent the deaths of more than five million children from preventable diseases over the next 10 years.
The largest share of the fund comes from the UK, which has pledged $130m a year over 10 years, or 35% of the total. France has promised $100m a year (25%), Italy $30m (10%), and Spain $12m (3%). Sweden has put in a one-off contribution of $27m. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $750m over 10 years.
Julian Lob-Levyt, executive secretary of the global alliance, said: "Substantial funding to support health systems is needed if countries are going to expand access to the traditional vaccines and manage and deliver new vaccines."(Zosia Kmietowicz)
Mr Brown has been lobbying for support for the plan, which is called the international finance facility for immunisation, since he came up with the idea in January 2003. He described the scheme as a "breakthrough" in aid that will release new funds for extra vaccines in more than 70 of the world's poorest countries "almost immediately."
The new finance facility, which is supported by contributions from the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is the first pilot in what Mr Brown hopes will become a standard method of securing backing for long term development projects. It raises funds by borrowing money on the international bonds market against commitments of future aid.
The $4bn which has been promised for the next 10 years will go to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation to boost its delivery of combination vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type B, as well as mass immunisations against measles and tetanus. "Blanket rather than partial immunisation will be available," said Mr Brown. Funding vaccine programmes in this way will also help to further reduce the prices of vaccines and encourage the development of new vaccines against diseases such as HIV and malaria through advance purchase schemes, he said.
Every year two to three million of the 10 million children who die before they reach the age of 5 die from diseases that can be prevented by vaccines. The global alliance, which was established in 2000 to increase immunisation rates in developing countries, estimates that the new funds will help to prevent the deaths of more than five million children from preventable diseases over the next 10 years.
The largest share of the fund comes from the UK, which has pledged $130m a year over 10 years, or 35% of the total. France has promised $100m a year (25%), Italy $30m (10%), and Spain $12m (3%). Sweden has put in a one-off contribution of $27m. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $750m over 10 years.
Julian Lob-Levyt, executive secretary of the global alliance, said: "Substantial funding to support health systems is needed if countries are going to expand access to the traditional vaccines and manage and deliver new vaccines."(Zosia Kmietowicz)