As part of their Zero-Dose Learning Week in September 2024, Gavi hosted a full-day webinar emerging evidence on reaching zero-dose children with Alliance partners, including economic evidence. Global learning consortia leads and selected experts presented key findings and recommendations aimed at shaping Gavi’s strategy, policies, and programming for the years ahead. This event provided valuable insights to inform future immunization efforts and enhance equity in global health.
Below you can view the recording and browse the slides from two presentations on the cost of reaching zero-dose children which were given at Gavi’s recent Zero-Dose Learning Week. Logan Brenzel, consultant for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave a presentation on what it costs to reach a zero-dose child, while Laura Boonstoppel, Program Director at ThinkWell, spoke about filling the evidence gap on the cost of reaching zero-dose children. A full list of the presentations given at the webinar can also be found below.
You can see all the recordings and presentations from the webinar on Gavi’s Zero-Dose Learning Hub website here, as well as the abstracts submitted and posters presented, and try out the ZD Learning Week AI Chatbot. To read more about ongoing research on the cost of reaching zero-dose children, you can read our dedicated page on the topic here.
Understanding the financial requirements to reach zero-dose (ZD) children is essential for expanding global immunization coverage. Recent analyses highlight the complexities of calculating costs, which vary widely depending on factors such as intervention type, geography, and existing immunization coverage levels. Studies show that costs increase as immunization efforts expand to harder-to-reach populations, emphasizing the need for efficient, targeted approaches. This review outlines key evidence and ongoing research into the cost-effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing the number of ZD children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Addressing the evidence gap on the cost of reaching zero-dose (ZD) children is critical for informed decision-making in global immunization efforts. This presentation highlights a new document that is available on research principles for costing interventions for the cost of reaching ZD children. By establishing research principles and gathering robust cost data, stakeholders can assess the value for money of different approaches, optimize planning, and improve the sustainability of immunization programs targeting the hardest-to-reach children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Any organization or individual working in the field of immunization economics can submit findings, opportunities, calls to action, or other relevant work below to be shared with our community.