GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR VACCINES AND IMMUNISATION

That this House welcomes the success of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) through its work in averting the deaths of five million people since 2000 including the vaccination of an additional 233 million children against hepatitis B, sponsoring the development of a better value for money market in vaccines and tapping into effective financing in the capital markets through the World Bank and the International Finance Facility for Immunisation; supports the call for US$ 2.6 billion in additional funding for GAVI projects such that GAVI can save 4.2 million more lives in developing countries, preventing deaths from diseases such as hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and Haemophilus influenzae type B, but mainly from pneumonia and diarrhoea which kill up to 1.5 million children every year in developing countries; and is encouraged by the long-term agreements made by pharmaceutical firms to supply new, affordable vaccines against pneumococcal disease to the world's poorest countries.