Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has announced several new partnerships with major global companies and philanthropies to drive innovation and help more people access vaccines and primary healthcare, the organization said. The collaborations aim to turn promising health technologies already tested in the field into large-scale solutions that can strengthen national immunization systems and save lives.
“Gavi was created as a public-private partnership, and that model is more relevant than ever,” said Dr. Sania Nishtar, Gavi’s CEO. “By combining innovation with strong new partnerships and the support of donors and governments, we’re helping countries move proven solutions from the pilot phase into nationwide programmes.”
One major step forward is the Gavi Innovation Scale-Up Facility (SUF), a new mechanism designed to channel private capital toward expanding successful innovations in the immunization sector. Building on an initial CAD 40 million pledge from Grand Challenges Canada, investment firm 500 Global has joined as a partner, with the goal of mobilising up to US$300 million. The Coca-Cola Foundation has also joined the SUF through Project Last Mile and Next Mile Ventures, offering technical support to help countries scale up innovations more efficiently.
Gavi is also launching a new multi-partner initiative focused on improving access to healthcare and increasing vaccination coverage in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. In partnership with Tony’s Chocolonely, the UBS Optimus Foundation, and Bayer Foundation, the initiative will operate in cocoa-farming communities, expanding mobile clinics, training health workers, and digitizing access to national health insurance. Supported by the Gavi Dutch Matching Fund and implemented by Elucid in coordination with health ministries, the program aims to reach 140,000 children in its first three years and benefit more than 600,000 people overall.
Meanwhile, Gavi’s long-running partnership with drone delivery company Zipline is expanding to Nigeria, where drones will deliver vaccines to remote and “zero-dose” communities across Kaduna State. The expansion is backed by the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Government of Sweden.
“These collaborations show how strategic risk-taking and innovation can improve health outcomes in the hardest-to-reach places,” said Dr. Alaa Murabit of 500 Global.
Together, these partnerships reflect Gavi’s continued commitment to joining forces with both public and private actors to ensure that every child—no matter where they live—can access life-saving vaccines and essential healthcare.
