Vaccines should be available to children all around the world

Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi stresses the importance of the UAE's role in ensuring all children are immunised against preventable diseases.

Since assuming my position as UAE Minister of International Cooperation and Development in March 2013, I have had the opportunity to learn more about the work of the Gavi Alliance (formerly Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation), a public-private global health partnership set up in 2000 with seed money from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The impressive achievements of the alliance have convinced me that immunisation is one of the best investments that we can make in our children’s future.

Increasing access to vaccines and immunisation is crucial to eradicating many communicable diseases and, ultimately, saving lives in some of the world’s poorest countries.

I am delighted to hear about the rate of Gavi’s progress, as the alliance is on track to achieve its target for the 2011-2015 period of immunising around 250 million children, saving at least four million lives. When the international community focuses on improving education and health, much can be done to eradicate the diseases that relate to ignorance and lack of appropriate health services.

It is essential that we all work together to achieve our goal of eradicating diseases. The ready availability of vaccines and mechanisms to apply them are critical to our combined efforts.

The UAE has a long-standing commitment to supporting the global health care sector, and has provided valuable contributions in supporting the efforts of Gavi to move towards a world free of vaccine-preventable diseases.

In 2011, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, donated $33 million (Dh121.2m) to Gavi over a four-year period to reduce the child mortality rate in Afghanistan through vaccines.

This donation was matched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, bringing the project to a total of $66m, and is a clear example of how investment in vaccines and immunisation can save the lives of children.

In Afghanistan – a country of particular interest to the UAE due to its proximity and critical humanitarian and development situation – it is gratifying to note that around two million children have been vaccinated so far because of the UAE contributions. By decreasing the morbidity rate for these children, they may go on to enjoy healthier and better lives. Many will now live, where death at a young age was once the terrible alternative.

Gavi plays an indispensable role in this regard, helping to ensure an adequate supply of vaccines at affordable prices.

At the end of last year, for example, the pneumococcal vaccine was introduced into Afghanistan.

Despite the advances that we have made, much remains to be done to prevent the resurgence of debilitating and destructive diseases.

We all – states, corporations and civil society alike – must unify our efforts to reduce this threat to international peace and stability.

This is of particular concern in countries, such as Syria, that are experiencing prolonged humanitarian crisis and chronic emergency, with the inevitable spillover effects into neighbouring countries.

It is today’s children who will ultimately boost economic development. No country can thrive without good health. So we must all do our part to ensure that life-saving vaccines reach all children, no matter where they live.

Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi is the UAE’s Minister of International Cooperation and Development