Trump administration to end funding for vaccinating children in poor countries

The Trump administration plans to end U.S. funding for Gavi, a global program that purchases shots to help vaccinate children in developing countries against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. 

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate more than half of the world’s children. Since its launch in 2000, the program has helped more than 1.1 billion children.

Gavi supports vaccines against 20 infectious diseases, including COVID-19, HPV, Ebola, malaria and rabies.  

The termination of the $2.6 billion contract for Gavi was among a nearly 400-page list — recently provided to Congress by a whistleblower — of canceled international aid programs previously funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).  

Democrats say the list originated from the desk of Peter Marocco, one of the leading figures dismantling USAID alongside Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. 

The U.S. is the third largest contributor to Gavi and second largest government contributor, providing 12 percent of its budget. The largest private donor was the Gates Foundation. 

According to an analysis by health policy research group KFF, U.S. contributions have grown over the past 10 years from $175 million in fiscal 2014 to $300 million in fiscal 2024, which is the highest amount appropriated to Gavi thus far. 

But the loss of U.S. funding will likely be a significant setback for the organization. In a statement, Gavi said U.S. support for its operations is "vital."

"With U.S. support, we can save over 8 million lives over the next 5 years and give millions of children a better chance at a healthy, prosperous future," the organization said in a statement on social platform X.  

“For 25 years, the USA and Gavi have had the strongest of partnerships. Without its help, we could not have halved child mortality, saved 18 million lives or helped 19 countries transition from our support (some becoming donors themselves). We hope this partnership can continue,” the statement continued.  

Gavi helps low-income countries afford lifesaving vaccines. The organization keeps global stockpiles for vaccines against diseases such as Ebola and cholera and then deploys them during pandemics.  

Gavi says it negotiates vaccines at prices that are affordable for the poorest countries and shares the costs on a sliding scale. As a country’s income level rises, it pays more.  

U.S. watchdog group Public Citizen said the administration’s decision to cut funding for Gavi could be illegal. 

“Congress has authority over foreign assistance funding. The administration’s attempt to unilaterally walk away from its Gavi commitment raises serious legal questions and should be challenged,” Liza Barrie, the group's director for global vaccines access, said in a statement. “Lawmakers must stand up for the rule of law, and for the belief that the value of a child’s life is not determined by geography.”