www.gavi.org

Immunization and the Faith Community

CCIH 29th Annual Conference Cristina Bisson June 27th, 2015 Arlington, VA

Accelerate equitable uptake and coverage of vaccines

Increase effectiveness & efficiency of immunisation

delivery as integrated part of health systems

Improve sustainability of national immunisation programmes

Shape markets for vaccines and other

immunisation products

To save children’s lives and protect people’s health by increasing equitable use

of vaccines in lower- income countries

Gavi strategy 2016–2020

21.8 MILLION CHILDREN UNDER-IMMUNISED Number of children globally not receiving the third dose of DTP-containing vaccine, 2013

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Source: WHO/UNICEF coverage estimates 2013 revision, July 2014.

almost 85% are in Gavi-supported countries

21.8 million

<5% of children fully immunised today

50% of children fully immunised by 2020

A broadening partnership…

Developing country

governments

... and many others across the public and

private spheres

civil society and faith based community

private sector

donor governments

vaccine manufacturers

academia

Partnership among global health and the faith community

Extensive and unique reach > a voice of support for childhood immunisation programmes Strong mobilisers > credible source of information, enablers environment for policymakers, decision-makers with families Influence > national policy, advocate for stronger government support of national immunisation programmes.

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Past Engagement with the faith based community

• Gavi has supported vaccines since 2000 • Pope Benedict XVI IFFIm • Support to 33 OIC member states • SANRU and Kenya FBO’s with the MOH • Gavi Board Member Support • Latter Day Saints Charities • Muslim Aid (2011), Pakistan • The Gavi CSO constituency and CSO Project • World Faith Development Dialogue and Gavi research

• UNICEF’s progress as Gavi Alliance partner

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Approach for Faith Based Community Engagement

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Engage for increase

immunization

Building Partnerships

Outreach

Country Engagement

Information, Tools

How communities are committed to ensuring children everywhere have access to vaccines?

Barriers • Misbeliefs/misinformation creates doubt/fear feeding anti-vaccine

campaigns. • Lack of consideration on both sides, no social responsibility or

coordinated efforts to mobilize all faith groups • Lack of deliberate structures at all levels to engage faith leaders

• Development partners’ unintended neglect of faith leaders.

• Existing mechanisms can provide barrier to direct funding.

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How communities are committed to ensuring children everywhere have access to vaccines?

Opportunities • Establish and engage in interreligious platforms in the

planning, information sharing, provision • Top liners faith leaders can help with - health benefits of

vaccines, and address fears and doubts at all levels • Paradigm shift - sway faith leaders added value of including

immunization (all health ) into agenda • Establish inclusive structures to elicit and validate the role of

faith inspired communities

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Potential results

1. Accelerate equitable uptake and coverage of vaccines.

• Faith leaders advocate for

coverage/equity; a statement • Participate in introductions of

vaccines, respond to special needs in fragile states

2. Increase effectiveness and efficiency of immunization delivery as part of strengthened health system. • Religious actors advocate for

integrated comprehensive immunization programmes, mobilize constituents/increase demand

3. Improve sustainability of national immunisation programmes.

• Religious actors at the national and

sub national level can advocate for greater political will for immunisation

• Faith leader provides input to ICC

4. Shape markets for vaccines and other immunisation products. • Highly influential faith leaders have

the ability to effect vaccine pricing to ensure fair and sustainable prices.

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What’s the message we need help spreading? Contributing to a better world

End all preventable child and maternal deaths

End extreme poverty

Reach and protect all children with all vaccines

Ensure a world free of vaccine-preventable diseases

www.gavi.org

Thank you

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Towards the fully protected child WHO recommends 11 antigens for infants in all countries: - Bacillus Calmette Guerin

(BCG) - Diphtheria - Tetanus - Pertussis - Haemophilus influenzae

type b (Hib) - Hepatitis B - Measles - Pneumococcal - Polio - Rotavirus - Rubella