The head of the Gates Foundation hosts a pledging conference on Wednesday, together with EU leaders, in order to collect 9 billion dollars for vaccines. Gates will also participate in a debate at the European Parliament.
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Bill Gates will visit Brussels next week to participate in a Gavi vaccine alliance summit together with EU leaders to pledge provision of vaccine purchases for developing countries in an event co-hosted by The Gates Foundation and the European Union.
The goal of the event is to collect €9 billion between 2026 and 2030. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, will likely represent the EU at the event.
Gavi is a global vaccine alliance bringing together public and private actors that help vaccinate more than half the world’s children against some of the deadliest diseases. The Gates Foundation, alongside the European Union, is its biggest sponsor. Gavi intends to immunise at least 500 million children in the next five years. This, according to their press release, would save 8-9 million lives. It is not immediately clear how much the EU will contribute to this plan financially.
The EU has provided €3.2 billion in financing to Gavi since 2003. There was enhanced cooperation between the two during the coronavirus pandemic in the COVAX programme. EU institutions together with individual member states have also contributed €2.55 billion to Gavi's programmes, amounting to one third of the budget of the campaign.
“When the Gates Foundation made its first investment in Gavi 25 years ago, I couldn’t have predicted the extraordinary impact it would have on combatting infectious diseases, lifting up economies and saving lives,” said Bill Gates in a press release announcing the summit in Brussels.
"Together with Gavi, we have the goal to vaccinate 500 million children by 2030. That is why the European Union is proud to co-host Gavi’s High-Level Pledging Summit in Brussels. Our support will remain steadfast,” von der Leyen is cited in the release as saying.
Besides the Gavi's pledging summit, Bill Gates will also have other agenda items in Brussels, participating on Tuesday in a debate with MEPs on the European Parliament's Development Committee.
The discussion will focus on assistance and innovation as drivers for improving health and living standards in the Global South.
The press release of the Parliament adds that several international donors, like the United States and several EU countries, are cutting their aid budgets.