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Khalifa Al-Kuwari, General Director of Qatar Development Fund and Marie-Ange Sarakao-Yao, Managing Director of Gavi’s Resource Mobilisation and Private Sector Partnerships sign the Contribution Agreement.
Doha, 14 May 2015 – The Qatar Development Fund and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance signed today a landmark Contribution Agreement, under which the State of Qatar agreed to make a multi-year financial pledge to help immunise children in the world’s poorest countries against vaccine-preventable diseases.
Under the agreement, Qatar committed to provide an initial US$ 10 million to Gavi to support immunisation programmes in the period between 2016 and 2020. The funding will be provided through the Qatar Development Fund and follows the announcement at the Gavi Pledging Conference, held in Berlin in January 2015, that Qatar intends to commit funding to the Vaccine Alliance.
“We are pleased that Qatar has become a member of the Gavi family and is joining global efforts to protect children from life-threatening diseases,” said Marie-Ange Sarakao-Yao, Gavi’s Resource Mobilisation and Private Sector Partnerships Managing Director. “This funding will help us towards our goal to immunise a further 300 million children between 2016 and 2020 and save up to six million more lives.”
“The State of Qatar is committed to helping the international coalition save children’s lives and protect people’s health through cooperation with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization Organization by increasing access to immunisation in developing countries,” said Khalifa Al-Kuwari, General Director of Qatar Development Fund.
Since 2000, Gavi has helped immunise more than 500 million children in developing countries, leading to more than seven million deaths being averted. In January, at the Gavi Pledging Conference held in Berlin, German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel led donors in pledging more than US$ 7.5 billion to ensure Gavi programmes are fully funded between 2016 and 2020.
Gavi has strong commitments towards Islamic countries. Since 2000, more than US$ 3.4 billion has been invested to introduce vaccines in 33 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). This represents more than 50% of Gavi’s disbursements and the Vaccine Alliance is planning to further increase support for OIC countries in the coming years.
About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership committed to saving children’s lives and protecting people’s health by increasing access to immunisation in poor countries. The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. Gavi uses innovative finance mechanisms, including co-financing by recipient countries, to secure sustainable funding and adequate supply of quality vaccines. Since 2000, Gavi has contributed to the immunisation of an additional 500 million children and the prevention of approximately 7 million future deaths. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is funded by governments (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, the People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Russia, South Africa, Spain, the State of Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States), the European Commission, the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as well as private and corporate partners (Absolute Return for Kids, Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, Anglo American plc., the A&A Foundation, The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Comic Relief, the ELMA Vaccines and Immunization Foundation, Gulf Youth Alliance, JP Morgan, “la Caixa” Foundation, LDS Charities, Lions Clubs International Foundation, Majid Al Futtaim, UPS and Vodafone.
About, Qatar Development Fund
Qatar Development Fund (QDF) is a public organization established by virtue of Qatari Law No 19 of 2002 as amended and established under the laws of the State of Qatar. The Qatar Development Fund aim at helping Arab countries and other developing countries to develop their economies and implement development programs by providing loans, grants and technical assistance for the economic and social development of these countries. Qatar Development Fund contributing to the capital of development finance institutions and other international and foreign development institutions that aim at helping developing countries in the development of their economies and representing the State of Qatar in such institutions.