U.S. halting funding for GAVI, key vaccine supplier for Nigeria

The United States has decided to end its financial support for Gavi, the global vaccine alliance that has been instrumental in immunization efforts across developing nations, including Nigeria.

The decision, part of a broader scale-back of U.S. foreign aid, raises concerns about the future of vaccination programs for millions of children in the country, the New York Times reported.

Since 2001, Gavi has contributed over $732 million to Nigeria’s health sector, funding vaccine purchases, cold chain logistics, immunization campaigns, and health system strengthening, according to Nigeria Health Watch. In December 2024, Gavi delivered 11,200 doses of mpox vaccines to Nigeria, the first of countries affected by the upsurge of the virus.

The country is set to transition out of Gavi’s support by 2028, making this funding cut even more critical as Nigeria works to secure alternative financing. Under Gavi’s 6.0 strategy, countries are categorized based on their transition readiness, and Nigeria has been in the accelerated phase since 2018.

However, economic volatility and fiscal challenges have complicated this process, increasing the risk of vaccine shortages and declining immunization rates.

Rampant cuts

In January, the U.S. paused nearly all foreign aid funding, disrupting a key programme that supports Nigeria and other nations in combating diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

The programme, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), is a highly successful initiative launched in 2003 by the U.S. government to fight the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Over the years, PEPFAR has provided life-saving antiretroviral treatments, testing, and education to over 20.6 million people worldwide, saving an estimated 26 million lives.

It has also helped in fighting malaria and tuberculosis.

Gavi’s loss of U.S. funding could severely impact Nigeria’s vaccination coverage, leaving millions of children vulnerable to diseases such as measles, polio, and pneumonia. According to Gavi estimates, the loss of U.S. support may result in 75 million children missing routine vaccinations worldwide over the next five years, potentially leading to more than 1.2 million preventable deaths.

The United States has been one of Gavi’s largest donors since its inception, contributing 13% of its budget. GAVI also enjoys support from Gates Foundation, WHO, UNICEF, World Bank.

The terminated grant was worth $2.6 billion through 2030, funds that Gavi had already factored into its next funding cycle to support new vaccines, including those for malaria and cervical cancer.

With European donors also reducing foreign aid and Japan facing economic struggles, the organization’s financial outlook remains uncertain.