Gavi’s efforts to raise full funding for its next five-year vaccination plan have fallen short by Sh374.9 billion, casting uncertainty over its goal to immunise 500 million children between 2026 and 2030 in supported countries including Kenya.

The global vaccine alliance had targeted Sh1.5 trillion ($11.9 billion) for its upcoming strategy period but only managed to secure Sh1.2 trillion ($9 billion) during the Global Summit on Health and Prosperity through Immunisation held in Brussels on Wednesday.

The pledges, although substantial, met only the lower end of Gavi’s appeal, leaving a critical gap of nearly Sh375 billion.

Under the new plan, dubbed Gavi 6.0, the alliance seeks to prevent between eight and nine million deaths through routine immunisation, increase vaccine access in the poorest and most remote areas, and strengthen pandemic readiness through stockpiles for threats such as cholera, monkeypox and Ebola.

 The strategy also aims to deliver up to $100 billion in global economic benefits by improving health systems and productivity.

Since joining Gavi in 2001, Kenya has introduced several essential vaccines into its national programme with the alliance’s support.

These include vaccines for pneumonia, diarrhoea, cervical cancer, and Covid-19, significantly improving child health and survival rates.

While the summit saw strong global backing, the remaining funding shortfall now threatens the scale and speed of implementation in countries that heavily depend on Gavi to maintain and expand immunisation coverage.