WASHINGTON — Today, as part of La Francophonie Summit in Dakar, Senegal, Canada announced a major increase in its commitment to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, pledging CAD $500 million over the next five years.

Tom Hart, North American Executive Director of The ONE Campaign, said:

For years, Canada has demonstrated consistent leadership on maternal, newborn, and child health issues. We are thrilled to see the Canadian government bolster this legacy today by significantly increasing its commitment to the world’s children through this new pledge to Gavi.  Vaccines are some of the most low-cost, high-impact tools we have to save children’s lives.  We hope other donors will follow in Canada’s lead and step up to ensure Gavi has the resources it needs to save an additional 5-6 million lives through immunization over the next five years.