Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance 2020 Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation

Mr. Seth Berkley's, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, message of thanks at the presentation of the Princess of Asturias Awards, held on 16th October 2020

Majestades, Altezas, Autoridades, Distinguidos Premiados, Señoras y Señores, Your Royal Highness, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of all those individuals and organizations that make up Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, including WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, it is with great humility and extreme pride that I join you today to accept this Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation.

For everyone who works with the Alliance to protect vulnerable children from infectious disease, it is the mission that drives us. That mission is to save lives, reduce poverty and protect the world against the threat of epidemics and pandemics like COVID-19.

Since we were created in 2000, Gavi has helped protect an entire generation, vaccinating more than 820 million additional children in the world’s poorest countries, saving 14 million lives in the process.

And today we are playing a pivotal role in helping to bring the acute phase of the pandemic to an end through COVAX. This unique multi-lateral cooperation is the only truly global solution to this crisis, because it is the only way to get rapid, fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines to people in all countries, rich or poor.

The secret to Gavi’s success is collaboration. Gavi is not just an alliance by name. Its unique public/private partnership model brings stakeholders together to find innovative solutions to seemingly intractable global health problems.

As one of our longest-standing donors since 2006, Spain’s support of Gavi reflects this public/private model. This has been illustrated by the Spanish Government’s financial contributions to Gavi, providing continued support to Gavi’s international finance facility for immunisation, IFEN, and through Gavi’s partnership with la Caixa.

In the context of this current pandemic, it won’t be easy to achieve our ambitious goals, but with Spain’s support, we can succeed.

And for all the people at Gavi and the Alliance, to receive such esteemed public endorsement with this Award only serves to strengthen that resolve and deepen the sense of pride in that mission.

Gracias.