The Gavi alliance, a significant global initiative aimed at providing vaccines to underserved populations, has received a major blow as U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared the cessation of all funding from Washington.
Kennedy made the announcement during the conclusion of this year’s Gavi conference in Brussels via a three-and-a-half-minute video posted on social media.
He accused Gavi of neglecting critical vaccine safety issues, stating that the Trump administration was halting funding for this reason.
Despite Kennedy’s attempt to distance himself from the “anti-vaccine” label, he has a history linked to misleading statements regarding vaccine safety and has associated with anti-vaccine activism groups.
Since its inception 25 years ago, Gavi has reportedly assisted in vaccinating over 1.1 billion children across 78 low-income countries, preventing more than 18.8 million deaths.
Its mission primarily focuses on delivering vaccines, particularly new ones, to populations that lack the resources or access needed for such crucial health interventions.
In his video, Kennedy claimed that Gavi had overlooked essential vaccine safety concerns, comparing their handling of these issues to public relations challenges rather than focusing on patient health.
He also contended that Gavi should justify the $8 billion that the U.S. government has contributed to the organization since 2001.
Historically, the U.S. has been one of the leading contributors to Gavi’s funding, which also benefits from donations by private entities.
The Biden administration had previously pledged $1.6 billion to Gavi for the period from 2026 to 2030, an amount mirroring the funding allocated by the Gates Foundation.
Kennedy’s announcement reportedly sent shockwaves through the conference, drawing profound outrage from attendees.
Bill Gates, the co-founder of the Gates Foundation, voiced his concerns on social media, stating that the funding halt would lead to “devastating consequences.”
He urged the U.S. Congress to continue its financial support for Gavi, warning that without it, more sick children would be left behind in their education, hospitals would face increased overcrowding, and ultimately, more families would experience grief over preventable deaths.
Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation, reinforced Gates’ sentiments, emphasizing that allowing the funding to lapse would result in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of preventable fatalities, particularly impacting mothers and children.
Public health researcher and surgeon Dr. Atul Gawande, who previously served on Gavi’s board, condemned Kennedy’s actions, labeling them as a
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