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The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) Thursday honoured President John Dramani Mahama for his role in advancing the activities of the organisation.

Officials of GAVI who were at the Flagstaff House to present the award said it was in recognition of President Mahama’s support for GAVI's successful replenishment in January this year.

The Chair of the GAVI Board, Mr Dagfinn Hoybraten, thanked the President and said the organisation was able to raise $7.5 billion which would be used to support countries over the 2016-2020 period.

President Mahama was also recognised for co-chairing GAVI's 2013 mid-term review in Stockholm, Sweden, where the participants discussed progress made by the Alliance and identified challenges towards achieving GAVI’s targets for 2011-2015 to immunise 243 million children through routine immunisation and thereby prevent 4.4 million future deaths.

Board decision

Mr Hoybraten informed the President about the June 2015 Gavi Board decision which would provide Ghana with two additional years to prepare and transition out of Gavi support. He also spoke of Ghana's intention and plans towards the preparation of Ghana's exit from Gavi support.

Ghana, he said, would increase co-financing for Gavi supported vaccines until it graduated from Gavi support by 2022.

Currently, Ghana has received approval for the some Gavi supported vaccines, comprising pentavalent (five-in-one), yellow fever, rubella (German measles), vaccines against pneumonia and diarrhoea (Pneumococcus and Rotavirus), meningitis, second dose measles and Injectable Polio vaccine (IPV).

Acceptance

The President expressed his appreciation to GAVI for recognising his contribution to its activities.

He pledged his continuous support to GAVI as it continued with its laudable initiatives.

About GAVI

GAVI is an international coalition of partners created to continue and build on the work of the earlier Children's Vaccine Initiative which was launched in 1990.

It includes national governments and international organisations such as the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank.

The alliance also has philanthropic institutions, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Children's Vaccine Programme and the Rockefeller Foundation.