World Health Summit Berlin: Gavi and IRC’s REACH Consortium Deliver 20 Million Affordable Vaccines in Crisis Zones – Only $2 per Dose!

Berlin, Germany, October 9, 2025 — Delegates from around the world gathered at the 2025 World Health Summit to highlight significant milestones in child vaccination. The Reaching Every Child in Humanitarian settings (REACH) consortium has successfully administered over 20 million vaccine doses to children in conflict zones like Chad, Ethiopia, and Somalia. This effort is supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and led by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in partnership with local organizations.

Despite progress in immunization worldwide, 14.3 million children remain unvaccinated, mainly in conflict-affected areas where traditional healthcare cannot reach them. In response, Gavi introduced ZIP, a program launched in 2022 that works with humanitarian partners to deliver immunizations to isolated communities. This specialized approach tailors strategies to the unique barriers these areas face, ensuring that even the hardest-to-reach children receive vaccines.

Currently, REACH delivers over 1 million vaccine doses each month across various life-saving vaccines. As the program has expanded, costs have decreased—falling from about $3.75 per dose to $2 by September 2025. This makes routine immunization more feasible in fragile environments.

Thabani Maphosa, Chief Country Delivery Officer at Gavi, stated, “More lives than ever are being protected through immunization, even in challenging settings.” Accessing remote communities remains a challenge, but through REACH, Gavi aims to make vaccination an integral part of humanitarian responses.

Investing in immunization is vital for both local and global health. Suppressing vaccinations can lead to outbreaks, particularly in regions with unstable health systems. Mesfin Teklu Tessema, Senior Director of Health at the IRC, emphasized that infectious disease outbreaks cost the world approximately $60 billion annually. Preventing such diseases through immunization is not only cost-effective but also crucial for everyone.

When REACH began, only 16% of targeted communities were accessible to aid workers. Now, thanks to flexible delivery methods like mobile clinics and community partnerships, 100% of those communities are reachable. Coordinating with national health programs, REACH aims to eventually return services to government control when conditions permit.

Looking ahead, Gavi plans to enhance efforts starting in 2026, drawing lessons from the Zero-Dose Immunization Programme. They will continue focusing on integrating vaccines into humanitarian responses and extending vaccination coverage in underserved areas.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, plays a pivotal role in global health. Since its start in 2000, Gavi has helped vaccinate over 1.2 billion children and fend off millions of preventable deaths. Its innovative strategies, from utilizing drones to incorporating new technology, aim to protect future generations and ensure no child is left unvaccinated.

In today’s world, tackling vaccine hesitancy in wealthier nations contrasts sharply with the urgent needs in fragile states, where REACH’s success highlights the importance of making vaccines accessible to every child, regardless of their situation.

To learn more about Gavi and its global health initiatives, visit Gavi’s official site.

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