Funding cuts, particularly from the United States, are jeopardizing global childhood vaccination efforts at a scale comparable to the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption, the United Nations warned. According to a joint statement from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, nearly half of low and lower-middle income countries reported reduced vaccination services by April due to dwindling international aid.
The rollback in funding has triggered shortages in vaccines, hindered disease surveillance, and stalled immunization campaigns against deadly diseases like measles, yellow fever, and meningitis. These diseases are resurging globally, with measles cases rising each year since 2021, meningitis outbreaks intensifying across Africa, and yellow fever resurging after a decade of decline.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell cautioned that global health setbacks are mirroring those seen during the COVID-19 crisis, calling for urgent financial commitments. “We cannot afford to lose ground in the fight against preventable disease,” she said.
The crisis follows the U.S. government’s decision to slash its contributions to global health bodies, including approximately $300 million annually to Gavi. These cuts are part of a broader move to realign U.S. foreign aid under the "America First" agenda. An internal U.S. document confirmed the intent to scale back funding to UNICEF, WHO, and other global health programs.
Gavi is preparing to launch its next funding round in June, aiming to raise $9 billion for its 2026–2030 initiatives. CEO Sania Nishtar emphasized that reversing the trend of rising infections is possible, but only if the alliance is fully funded.
Despite appointing a new U.S. representative to Gavi’s board, future American contributions remain uncertain, raising concerns over the sustainability of global immunization programs.