Speaking at the 2015 CCIH Annual Conference, Cristina Bisson, Advocacy and Public Policy Consultant for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance explained Gavi's work in bringing vaccines to children across the globe and how it is partnering with the faith community to save the lives of even more children in the future.

1. www.gavi.org
Immunization and the Faith
Community
CCIH 29th Annual Conference
Cristina Bisson
June 27th, 2015
Arlington, VA

2. 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

3. 21.8 MILLION CHILDREN UNDER-IMMUNISED
Number of children globally not receiving the third dose of
DTP-containing vaccine, 2013
3 #vaccineswork
Source: WHO/UNICEF coverage estimates 2013 revision, July 2014.
almost 85%
are in Gavi-supported countries
21.8
million

4. <5% of children fully immunised today

5. 50% of children fully immunised by 2020

6. 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

7. 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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8. 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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9. Approach for Faith Based Community Engagement
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Engage for
increase
immunization
Building
Partnerships
Outreach
Country
Engagement
Information,
Tools

10. 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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11. 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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12. 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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13. 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

14. www.gavi.org
Thank you
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15. 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