1. The government of the Republic of Korea has decided to contribute a total of 12 million US dollars over the next three years to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), which is playing a leading role in rendering healthcare medical assistance to developing countries through vaccination and supplying vaccines.

2. Director-General for Development Cooperation Lee Yong-soo of the ROK Foreign Ministry and GAVI CEO Seth Berkley signed the revised version of the relevant ROK-GAVI agreement at the GAVI headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on October 6.

◦ The ROK government donated a total of three million US dollars to GAVI from 2010 to 2014, using its “Contribution to Global Poverty Eradication” coffers, and will greatly increase its donation to an annual four million US dollars from the year 2015.

3. The decision to increase the amount of donation to GAVI was made at the eighth meeting of the Committee for the Operation and Review of the Contribution to Global Poverty Eradication, held on July 31. Members of the Committee unanimously approved the decision in consideration of the fact that children’s healthcare is a high priority in the ROK government’s development cooperation projects for developing countries; that GAVI has been demonstrating its capacity in the effective implementation of projects in the field of vaccination and the supply of vaccines; and that GAVI has been cooperating closely with relevant Korean companies.

4. GAVI, an innovative organization for private-public cooperation, which was established in 2000 with the goal of saving lives of children by providing vaccines to developing countries, purchases vaccines at much lower prices than market prices with donated fund from donor countries and private foundations, and gives them to developing countries. So far, it has vaccinated about 500 million children across the world, preventing deaths of more than seven million children.

5. In addition, GAVI has been working closely with Korean biotech companies, such as concluding contracts for vaccine supplies. Such cooperation has been playing an important role in the expansion of the presence of Korea-produced vaccines in foreign markets.

6. The ROK government has been expanding its role and contributions in the field of international healthcare as a middle-power donor country, as can be seen from its hosting of a Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) High-Level Meeting in September and its announcement at the meeting of the “safe life for all” initiative, which calls for extending 100 million US dollars to developing countries for healthcare over the next five years; and its dispatch of a Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) to join the global fight against the Ebola outbreak. The increased donation to GAVI is expected to contribute to the efforts to save precious lives of children in developing countries and to play a positive role in GAVI’s humanitarian assistance to North Korea and in stepping up its cooperation with Korean companies.


* unofficial translation