Uganda commits sh3.6b towards global immunisation initiative

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The Government of Uganda has committed itself to renewing its commitment of $1m (about shillings 3.6 billion) towards the global immunisation initiative.

"Uganda, a Gavi-eligible country with many conflicting development priorities, is renewing its commitment of $1m to GAVI's replenishment cycle," health state minister Jane Ruth Aceng says.

Aceng announced on June 25, 2025, during the Global Summit: Health and Prosperity through Immunisation in Brussels, on behalf of President Yoweri Museveni, who she said is a proud champion of immunisation.

Through its 6.0 replenishment campaign, Gavi is calling on world leaders and partners to help raise $9 billion in new donor funding. These resources, according to GAVI, complement $4 billion in domestic contributions from GAVI-supported countries.

"Together, this funding will enable Gavi to reach another 500 million children by 2030, which could prevent over 8 million deaths and generate $100 billion in additional economic impact across 57 countries, primarily in the Global South".

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, helps vaccinate more than half the world’s children against deadly and debilitating infectious diseases. Its impact draws on the strengths of its core partners, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the World Bank and the Gates Foundation, and plays a critical role in strengthening primary health care (PHC), bringing the world closer to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), ensuring that no one is left behind.

Gavi also works with donors, including sovereign governments, private sector foundations and corporate partners; NGOs, advocacy groups, professional and community associations, faith-based organisations and academia; vaccine manufacturers, including those in emerging markets; research and technical health institutes; and implementing country governments.

Over euros 7 billion raised

World leaders yesterday pledged support for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, leading to a total of more than €7.7 billion (about shillings 32.4 trillion) secured against a targeted €10.2 billion (about shillings 42.9 trillion) budget for its next five-year strategic period from 2026 to to 2030 (Gavi 6.0), according to a European Council press release.

By improving access to new and underused vaccines for millions of the most vulnerable children, the Vaccine Alliance hopes to transform the lives of individuals, help to boost the economies of lower-income countries and make the world safer for everyone.

The council's statement also says the commitments by countries bring Gavi closer to securing the resources it needs for Gavi 6.0, in which it hopes to protect 500 million children from preventable disease, 'averting between 8-9 million future deaths, protecting the world from deadly outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, mpox and Ebola through its vaccine stockpiles and unlocking €85.3 billion in economic benefits for countries'. 

The European Council said the Summit, co-hosted by the European Union, Gates Foundation, and Gavi, in partnership with Global Citizen, was attended by representatives of 55 donor and implementing countries – including 10 heads of state and government and 24 ministers – as well as leaders from multilateral institutions, civil society, private sector and vaccine industry. 

STORY BY MSD