“Immunization has been a great public health success story. The lives of millions of children have been saved, millions have the chance of a longer healthier life, a greater chance to learn, to play, to read and write, to move around freely without suffering.’’ - Nelson Mandela, advocate, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, former President of South Africa and former chair of Gavi
A few years ago, Hauwa Ibrahim‘s second child nearly died because essential vaccines were out of reach. Hauwa wanted to vaccinate her baby, but the clinic was 22 kilometres away from her home in Kwamarawa, Nigeria – too far and too expensive to access. Worse, heavy floods had made the road inaccessible. Without protection, her child contracted measles and had severe malnutrition. Fortunately, the child survived, but Hauwa’s story is a stark reminder of what’s at stake for millions of children, who go without lifesaving shots.
Hauwa’s experience mirrors that of millions of zero-dose children, who often live in isolated, underserved areas or are affected by conflict or climate change. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, was created in 2000 to address these inequities and has already helped vaccinate more than half the world's children, reducing vaccine-preventable deaths by 70% in partner countries.
But vaccines are more than a tool for disease prevention – they are foundational to ensuring that children grow up healthy, educated, and able to contribute to their communities.
The ask: We call on Canada to invest #ForOurFuture by ensuring that life-saving vaccines #ReachEveryChild. Canada must support the scale-up of existing vaccines and the access to new, exciting innovations by making a pledge of at least CAD$ 720 million to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance’s 2026-2030 Strategy.
the ripple effect of vaccines on sustainable development
reducing poverty
Vaccines reduce treatment costs and prevent disability and death.
They also have a positive impact on productivity and economic vitality.
protecting communities
Immunization is key to people’s fundamental right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable physical and mental health.
Vaccines protect entire communities, especially vulnerable groups like children and the elderly.
As the vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) shows, immunization can even prevent some cancers.
reinforcing health systems
As a relatively low-cost intervention, vaccine delivery is often the first opportunity for communities to access health services, information, and professionals.
Vaccines foster gender equality by improving health for all.
mitigating the impact of climate and malnutrition crises
Vaccines protect against climate-sensitive diseases, like malaria.
They also protect children who suffer from malnutrition and face a higher risk of dying from diseases.
A new pledge from Canada to Gavi would be life-saving and life-changing for families like Hauwa’s. Gavi not only reaches zero-dose children, but also helps build stronger communities by supporting 14 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By funding Gavi’s 2026-2030 strategy, Canada can help ensure that more children receive the protection they need to thrive and accelerate global efforts to achieve the SDGs by the 2030 deadline.
Every November 20th, the world marks Universal Children’s Day, a moment to reflect on our shared responsibility toward children’s rights and well-being. On this day, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. These texts were revolutionary because they recognized that governments have a special duty to safeguard children’s futures. But in 2024, we can't claim to have fully honoured these promises. There’s work that remains.
1 in 5 children still don’t have access to the vaccines necessary to protect them against the world’s deadliest diseases, and at least 468 million live in conflict zones – double the number since the Convention was adopted. In Gaza alone, 11,000 children have been killed in just one year, marking the deadliest conflict for children in the last two decades.
Beyond direct violence, the indirect effects of conflict are devastating. Palestine is now seeing the highest rates of child malnutrition globally, with vaccine-preventable diseases quickly spreading. In Sudan, 19 million children are now out of school, 3.7 million are acutely malnourished, and an entire generation is threatened by human rights violations.
Children represent our collective future, but the shape of this future depends on the possibilities we offer them now. The SDGs are the best roadmap we have for fulfilling this promise, but we can't achieve these objectives without sufficiently funding proven life-saving initiatives like Gavi.
the impact of Canadian investment in Gavi
By pledging at least CAD$ 720 million to Gavi, Canada will help:
Vaccinate 500 million children, including those living in isolated, fragile, and conflict-affected countries.
Prevent 9 million deaths through access to routine and new vaccines.
Provide access to new malaria, dengue, and tuberculosis vaccines and help eliminate two of the world’s greatest infectious disease killers.
Save 1.5 million lives by 2030 by increasing access to HPV vaccines.
Support breastfeeding and supplements like vitamin A and iron that are provided at the vaccination point to improve the baby’s response to vaccines.
With a clinic now closer to home, Hauwa promised herself that her eight children would benefit from their routine vaccines. However, many geographical and financial barriers still hinder her efforts. By pledging to Gavi, Canada can help break down these barriers, ensuring that families like Hauwa’s can access immunization and other healthcare services without suffering, unlocking the transformative potential of vaccines for healthier futures.
The ask: We call on Canada to invest #ForOurFuture by ensuring that life-saving vaccines #ReachEveryChild. Canada must support the scale-up of existing vaccines and the access to new, exciting innovations by making a pledge of at least CAD$ 720 million to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance’s 2026-2030 Strategy.
latest campaign news
#ForOurFuture:
Since July, Results Canada’s volunteers have been calling on Canada to support global efforts to eradicate polio by committing CAD$ 150 million per year to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative over the next three years. We are thrilled that Canada heard our call! On September 20th, Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen reaffirmed Canada's commitment to eradicating polio, announcing $ 151 million — that's $1 million more than our ask! Thank you to all of you who advocated for this! Read more here.
Canada recently announced that it would make available up to 200,000 doses of vaccines to support the global response to the mpox outbreak. While we welcome this, we will continue our call for Canada to show true global solidarity and ensure Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has the funding, vaccines, diagnostics, and medicines needed to control this outbreak. Read our statement here, which includes how mechanisms like Gavi are stepping up.
story
Schools are a key space for health education and access to health services, such as immunization. In Zanzibar, cancer survivors have joined an initiative to support HPV vaccination campaigns in schools, aiming to protect young girls from cervical cancer.
Ruzuna Abdurahim Mohammed, In-Charge of Advocacy in Maternal and Child Health at Kidongo Chekundu Mental Hospital in Zanzibar, demonstrates the tools she used during the project. Credit: Syriacu Buguzi
Infectious diseases and malnutrition are among the main causes of child mortality. Worse, they often intertwine and reinforce each other's consequences. But when we address both at once, we can break this cycle.
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November 7: Action Kick-Off November 11-24: COP29 November 18-20: G20 November 18-24: World Antimicrobial Awareness Week November 20: Universal Children's Day Check out our full key dates calendar
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For Our Future Reach Every Child Vaccines HPV Malaria Zero-dose children Polio Immunization Nutrition
