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Press ReleaseUNICEF Chief takes over as chair of GAVI BoardCarol Bellamy set to increase global immunization rates New York, 17 August 2001 - Building upon its unprecedented campaign to immunize children against infectious diseases, - the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization - and the Vaccine Fund will launch a multi-country five-year initiative in Cambodia on 19 August, to increase access to immunization for children throughout Southeast Asia. Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of the United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF) and GAVI Chairperson; United States Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), Chair, House Subcommittee on Foreign Operations; and Jacques-François Martin, President of the Vaccine Fund will participate in the launching ceremony. These officials will meet with representatives of the Cambodian Government at the Poh Mean Chey Health Center in Siem Reap to witness the first child being vaccinated. "There is no greater investment than protecting a child from infectious disease," said Carol Bellamy. "The resources provided by the Vaccine Fund will help Cambodia and other recipient countries to expand and intensify their existing vaccination programmes, thereby ensuring a good start in life for every child." More than 30 million children born each year -one in four-do not receive any immunization against the basic childhood diseases. Three million of these children will die at some point in their lives from a vaccine-preventable disease. The lack of immunization alone results in the death of about 8,000 children every day. Cambodia's health status is among the poorest in the Western Pacific Region. The aftermath of decades of civil conflict has left the country's basic infrastructure severely damaged and the quality of health services very low. In 1998, Cambodia's infant mortality rate was 89 per 1000 compared with a regional average of 38 per 1000 live births. HIV prevalence rates have been increasing since 1991, with an estimated 4 per cent of the adult population infected. Leading causes of childhood mortality are diarrhoeal diseases, acute respiratory infections, malaria, malnutrition, and vaccine-preventable diseases. More than 10% of Cambodia's population is infected with hepatitis B. The Cambodian Government will receive an initial 683,000 doses of Hepatitis B-Diptheria, Petussis, Tetanus (HepB-DPT), worth an estimated $296,000. Additional resources have been earmarked for neighbouring Laos and Vietnam. As part of the GAVI partnership, Cambodia and other countries, will be responsible for reporting, on a yearly basis, the headway they have made toward achieving immunization goals. The Vaccine Fund must receive a satisfactory progress report in order to continue funding beyond the first year. "It is vital that we make these investments to help protect children
from infectious diseases," said Representative Kolbe. "If
we are to succeed, international partnerships like GAVI and the Vaccine
Fund are pivotal to our success." The Vaccine Fund was launched in 1999 with an initial contribution from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation of $750 million over five years. While the Fund has its own Board and management for fundraising responsibilities, decisions about grants are based on the recommendations of the GAVI Board. Using the existing infrastructure of UNICEF and other GAVI Partners, administrative costs are kept to the bearest minimum making it possible for approximately 98 percent of Vaccine Fund resources to go directly to countries. * * *
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