US halts funding to global vaccine group Gavi

The head of Gavi said yesterday the organisation which vaccinates children in the world's poorest countries was "disappointed" after Washington announced it was pulling funding in an incendiary video questioning its safety standards.

A Brussels summit held by the group to raise money on Wednesday night, was overshadowed by a video message sent by US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who raised sweeping vaccine safety doubts without evidence and announced an end to Washington's support.

"We were disappointed to see the video," Gavi CEO Sania Nishtar told AFP in a phone interview. "Of course, we disagree with many of the things that were narrated in the video. It's unfortunate but we are hopeful of a positive relationship with the United States. We will continue to engage them."

The United States's funding withdrawal comes as Gavi and the United Nations reported in April that outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis and yellow fever, are on the rise globally amid misinformation and cuts to international aid.

Gavi secured more than $9 billion (7.7 billion euros) in pledges on Wednesday, short of the $11.9 billion the group said it needed to fund its operations for the next five years, when it hopes "to protect 500 million children from preventable disease".