alliance childhood vaccinations of “la caixa” foundation Got 90,428 boys and girls vaccinated because 55 companies in Almeria united They have been participating in this act of solidarity since 2008.a fighting initiative preventable diseases But with limited access to health care, they pose a huge risk to the lives of minors in their countries of origin.
The initiative was launched 15 years ago by the “la Caixa” foundation together with Gavi, the African Vaccine Alliance, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and in collaboration with the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal).Together, they ensure that some 9 million children are immunized against pneumonia, a lung infection that remains the leading cause of death among children around the world, as well as the pentavalent vaccine against diseases such as tetanus or diphtheria, among others , Mozambique, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Honduras, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Central African Republic, Sudan, Bolivia, Tanzania and other 10 African and Latin American countries
To this end, the childhood vaccination program relies on donations from the “la Caixa” foundation, which receives donations from 3,700 companies and CaixaBank customers across Spain, in addition to small donations from citizens and the contributions of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donation. “At the “la Caixa” Foundation we will continue to work on this project and contribute to the work of Gavi, because we firmly believe that we must continue to work to avoid the deaths of infants due to the lack of vaccines. This is our responsibility ”, emphasizes Antonio Vila Bertran, General Manager of the “la Caixa” Foundation.
Reaffirms commitment to reducing infant mortality
Fundraising is calculated based on a matching fund formula whereby all donations received are multiplied by four. This is because for every euro donated, one euro will be added to the foundation “la Caixa” and a further two euros will be added to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In this way, Gavi can meet 100% of Mozambique’s demand for pneumonia vaccines over the past four years and an average of 25% of Ethiopia’s needs in 2021 and 2022.
The “la Caixa” foundation, Gavi’s first private partner in Europe, has renewed its commitment to the international organization by doubling all donations to the alliance in 2023. The project also offers the possibility of donations from third parties. Therefore, the program accepts donations from companies as part of its corporate social responsibility. As a philanthropic initiative to reduce infant mortality, partnership opportunities also extend to CaixaBank’s customers and employees, as well as to society at large.
For its part, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which launched its matching fund program in 2011, has also maintained its commitment to double the total amount of all funding provided to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi), while ISGlobal He joined this business alliance as a strategic partner in 2014 and continues to contribute his scientific and academic experience to the project.
All financial contributions from entities, private companies and society at large are aimed at expanding economic resources to promote immunization of boys and girls in 10 countries in Africa and Latin America. The main focus is on distributing pneumococcal vaccines in Mozambique and Ethiopia to combat pneumonia, a lung infection that remains the leading cause of death among children worldwide, which is why Sunday, November 12, is famous as World Pneumonia Day.
Every 42 seconds a child in the world dies from pneumonia
From April 26th to 27th, the “la Caixa” Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the “Every Breath Counts” Alliance organized the second Children’s Pneumonia Forum at the CaixaForum in Madrid, where Gavi also participated this forum. The meeting brought together more than 300 participants, including senior government officials from 14 countries that account for 60% of all childhood pneumonia deaths. The event was also attended by members of the Spanish government, leaders of the United Nations and multilateral development agencies, large donors, NGOs, private companies and the scientific community.
This international forum provides a venue for discussion and analysis of new challenges in the wake of COVID-19, followed by decisions on actions and measures that governments must take to reduce child deaths from pneumonia and accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal on child survival (SDG 3) ).
groundbreaking alliance
Gavi is a public-private alliance that brings together developing countries with donors including governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccination industry, technical agencies, civil society, Bill and May The Linda Gates Foundation and other partners from the private sector, including the leading Spanish foundation “la Caixa” Foundation.
Since its founding in 2000, its mission has been to save lives, reduce poverty and protect the world from the threats of epidemics and pandemics. To this end, by the end of 2022, it has helped more than 1 billion children in 78 countries be vaccinated.
What’s special about A“La Caixa” Foundation Childhood Vaccination Alliance CaixaBank clients (both companies and individuals) participate in Europe’s pioneering corporate social responsibility projects. The Alliance for Vaccination of Children has the commitment of the CaixaBank Empresas and CaixaBank Banca Privada teams and their entire network of offices, which is key to communication and fundraising.
To achieve this goal, CaixaBank Empresas carries out extensive awareness-raising work among its clients, offering them the opportunity to contribute to vaccine access and quality in developing countries as an act of social responsibility, allowing them to give back to society. They’ve got it out of it. For its part, CaixaBank Banca Privada promotes support for Gavi within the framework of its social value project, which supports and encourages the charitable concerns of its clients.
The “la Caixa” foundation has reached 10 countries in Africa and Latin America, including Mozambique, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Honduras, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Central African Republic, Sudan, Bolivia and Tanzania. In recent years, “la Caixa” Foundation has paid special attention to pneumococcal vaccines in Mozambique, where pneumonia is currently the leading cause of infant death. For its part, Gavi was selected for the 2020 Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation out of 34 candidates competing for recognition.
More than a century of building a better world
Founded in 1904, “la Caixa” Foundation aims to provide those who need it most with the opportunity to contribute to a more just and equitable society. This makes it the world’s first private foundation. Spain is one of the most relevant countries on the international scene. The priority of the “la Caixa” Foundation is the development of social projects that respond to the great challenges of our time, such as promoting employment for disadvantaged groups, eradicating child poverty, caring for patients with terminal illnesses and promoting positive and active social activities. Healthy aging. Medical research, excellence in training, culture and education are the basis for advancement and equal opportunity and are other strategic lines of action of the Foundation.