Geneva — In partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and others, the Gavi-funded Humanitarian Partnerships (ZIP) is breaking new ground in how immunisation services reach communities affected by insecurity, conflict or crisis The programme, which launched in 2022, spans across 11 African countries in the Sahel and Horn of Africa. “Gavi is unwavering in its commitment to ensuring every child, no matter their circumstances, has access to life-saving vaccines. Our partnership with humanitarian actors is a testament to this commitment, enabling us to reach communities affected by instability, insecurity, conflict and crisis,” said Thabani Maphosa, Chief Country Delivery Officer at Gavi
A new report, Gavi’s Humanitarian Partnerships: achievements and learning, 2022-2024, shows how Gavi and humanitarian partners are bridging immunisation gaps to reach children and infants living in crisis-affected settings across 11 countries in Africa, paving the way for solutions that address the needs of some of the most vulnerable populations – while improving health security around the world.According to the report, integrating humanitarian and immunisation services through Gavi’s Humanitarian Partnerships (ZIP) has enabled the delivery of life-saving vaccines to children in hard-to-reach and conflict-afflicted communities, without compromising quality. By addressing and overcoming various equity barriers that have long hindered global vaccination progress, Gavi and partners have helped protect hundreds of thousands from life-threatening and highly contagious diseases like measles.
With new access to vaccinate children in these communities, the partnership has also pioneered new ways of working for the Vaccine Alliance, partnering with nongovernmental humanitarian organisations for the first time. ZIP has additionally delivered routine childhood vaccines to children up aged up to five years who previously missed out – an unprecedented achievement in humanitarian contexts.
“Gavi is unwavering in its commitment to ensuring every child, no matter their circumstances, has access to life-saving vaccines,” said Thabani Maphosa, Chief Country Delivery Officer at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “Our partnership with humanitarian actors is a testament to this commitment, enabling us to reach communities affected by instability, insecurity, conflict and crisis. With the continued support of our donors and partners, we can redefine what is possible in humanitarian immunisation, ensuring full vaccine coverage even in the hardest-to-reach places.”
With protracted crises unfolding across the world, access to vaccines remains critical to avoid immunity gaps that leave communities vulnerable to preventable outbreaks and pose risks to global health security. Launched as a pilot in 2022, Gavi’s Humanitarian Partnerships (ZIP) were designed to address inequities in vaccine access, prioritising communities that were previously left behind. Working in partnership with the IRC, World Vision and consortia of local civil society organisations, the initiative has proven that effective immunisation programmes can succeed in even the most complex humanitarian contexts, including semi-autonomous or separatist areas, non-state armed group locations, refugee camps and among marginalised populations.
With millions of children missing out on routine vaccines every year, ZIP has addressed the urgent challenge of reaching ‘zero-dose’ children – those who have never received a single vaccine – and under-immunised children. Equally vital in the effort to sustainably protect communities is the task of rebuilding routine immunsation systems in these crisis-affected areas. ZIP is working to strike this balance, ensuring that both immediate needs and long-term health system resilience are addressed, while maintaining a coordinated approach with ministries of health in a manner that preserves ZIP’s independence and neutrality.
As Gavi looks to 2025 and beyond, the insights drawn from ZIP will shape new commitments to expand immunisation services to reach even more children. By leveraging the learnings from the last two years, Gavi aims to set a new standard for delivering comprehensive vaccination coverage in the most challenging environments – a critical step toward achieving vaccine equity and health security worldwide.
Notes to Editors
About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate more than half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. 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. View the full list of donor governments and other leading organisations that fund Gavi’s work here.
Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunise a whole generation – over 1.1 billion children – and prevented more than 18.8 million future deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 78 lower-income countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines. After two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation, above all the zero-dose children who have not received even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs innovative finance and the latest technology – from drones to biometrics – to save lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Facebook and X (Twitter).
