GAVI’s Portuguese president seeks over €8 billion to vaccinate in developing countries

José Manuel Durão Barroso, former PSD prime minister, former president of the European Commission, former chairman and non-executive director of investment bankers Goldman Sachs and now president of the Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) said today that he will be asking the international community for around $9 billion (€8.2 billion) to fund vaccination in developing countries over the next few years. Speaking on the sidelines of the Eurafrican Forum, taking place in Carcavelos, on the outskirts of Lisbon, he said: “We have already saved millions of children’s lives in Africa. Mortality has been falling mainly due to vaccination (…) Europe needs more investment, and Africa has potential and a great demographic dynamic. In the EU, we have a lot of resources for the development of Africa, in health, education, and vocational training, but at the same time, Africa has wealth potential that can be very useful for the European economy.”