International Vaccine Programmes: Funding

Lord Trees Excerpts

Tuesday 17th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Trees (CB)]

My Lords, nearly every minute a child dies from malaria somewhere in the world. That death toll is easily remedied by the application of vaccination—vaccines which we have partially produced in the UK in our industries, research institutes and academia, and which have been partially subsidised in their application to the populations of need by Gavi. Apart from that huge humanitarian gain, have His Majesty’s Government estimated the positive economic impact that a successful Gavi replenishment, which is due very shortly, can have on the investment in and growth of our biomedical and pharmaceutical industries?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

That is a very important point. On the economics of this, we know that for every £1 invested through Gavi there is a return of around £54 through lives saved and fulfilling lives lived. As far as the UK is concerned, the noble Lord is right to remind us that we are leaders in devising vaccines and vaccine manufacture. Without a doubt, there is going to be a benefit from supporting Gavi further to GSK and others here in the UK. That is good, and it is important that we support that work, but the principal aim of this must always be health security and supporting developing countries in making sure their populations are vaccinated, for their good and everybody else’s, and that they can use that partnership to develop and support their own vaccination programmes in time.