GSK and Save the Children: A Partnership for Immunisation 

By Alhadi Osman (Senior Health Policy Advisor, Save the Children UK)
Published 25/06/2025

Today's challenging context of conflict, climate change, financial and economic pressures poses significant threats to routine immunisation programmes operating in fragile health systems in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Navigating these challenges requires coordinated multi-partner efforts across public, private, and multilateral sectors.

Leveraging Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) is one proven way to help tackle these challenges, by delivering primary healthcare services and supporting local health systems, and the longstanding partnership between GSK and Save the Children exemplifies this approach. With the partnership now in its 12th year, this current phase focuses on Zero Dose and Under Immunised Children.

Addressing Critical Immunisation Gaps

Despite progress in global vaccination coverage over past decades, recent data shows concerning plateaus in immunisation rates. Globally there were approximately 14.5 million zero dose children (ZDC) – those who did not receive any routine vaccines – in 2023 around the globe. Furthermore, global immunisation coverage has stalled leaving 2.7 million additional children un- and under-vaccinated compared to pre COVID-19 pandemic levels. The challenges countries with the most zero dose children face are often large birth cohorts (for example India, Nigeria, Ethiopia), weak health systems, or both. In addition, countries in fragile and humanitarian settings such as Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan are also experiencing low immunisation rates. GSK and Save the Children’s partnership is aiming to help respond to these challenges through targeted interventions in Nigeria and Ethiopia where there are approximately 3.3 million ZDC.

GSK and Save the Children: a Partnership for Equity

The effectiveness of public private partnerships for international development lies in leveraging the comparative advantage of each stakeholder. This model has been successfully demonstrated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, bringing together public, private, and civil society partners to improve access to immunisation in LMICs.

GSK and Save the Children’s immunisation programme builds on over a decade of sector-leading partnership between a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and a private sector entity. The focus of the programme is on Nigeria and Ethiopia and aims to help increase and sustain the use of vaccine services in target areas within ZDC communities. This will be achieved via three main arms below in figure 1.

The programme is also built around three core components. First, robust research with local research partners will help inform evidence-based interventions through comprehensive assessments and real-time learning. Secondly, Save the Children’s Immunisation Accelerator, funded by GSK, is piloting novel approaches to reach missed communities where conventional methods have failed; and finally, a sustainability framework that is closely engaging Ministries of Health from design through implementation, with gradual transition of activities beginning in the third year to ensure long-term local ownership and continued impact beyond the program's lifespan.

The partnership also focuses on building our local to global approach, where lessons learnt, and experiences will influence regional and global policy discussions. Furthermore, we’re aiming to ensure our approach aligns strategically with key multilateral frameworks, including the Immunisation Agenda 2030 (IA2030) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC), translating global commitments into practical implementation at national and community levels.

Looking Forward

At this crossroads in global health architecture——it is crucial not to lose hard-won gains in immunisation. Governments, private sector entities, and multilateral organisations must continue ensuring equitable and universal access to immunisation services, which remain among public health's best investments.

In their next strategic period, Gavi aims to vaccinate over 500 million children, helping to save over 8 million more lives. These ambitions include a focus on addressing the challenge of ZDC. Critical to support these efforts will be the domestic prioritisation of immunisation, and continued multisectoral collaboration. Going forward, the GSK and Save the Children’s partnership will continue to support the IA2030 and embedding itself as a vital support to addressing the zero-dose challenge. Together we are working towards a world where no child suffers from a vaccine preventable disease.

 

NX-GBL-NA-COCO-250008, June 2025

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