… It’s $1m Initiative Fund From GSK
The Save the Children Immunisation Accelerator recently opened a second round of applications, inviting organisations in Nigeria and Ethiopia to submit proposals for innovations that tackle entrenched barriers preventing children from receiving vaccinations.
The $1 million initiative, funded through a grant from GSK, was launched in April last year. It is open to community-based organisations, local and national NGOs, research teams, social enterprises and tech companies, who will be eligible for up to $100,000 funding per project, as well as broader technical support tailored to their innovation.
Successful applicants will also be able to pilot their innovation as part of vaccination programmes Save the Children runs, in partnership with GSK, in Ethiopia and Nigeria, focused on reaching ‘zero dose’ children – those who have never received a routine vaccination.
There are an estimated 2.1 million children in Nigeria and almost one million in Ethiopia[1] classed as ‘zero dose’. When children aren’t vaccinated, they are left vulnerable to diseases like polio, measles and cholera – all preventable with vaccines.
Ermias Teshome, Save the Children Immunisation Accelerator Lead said:
“As conflicts, climate change, and other global challenges increasingly disrupt vaccination efforts, it’s clear that we need bold, new approaches to protect every child’s right to health. Local innovation plays a critical role in overcoming both supply and demand barriers to immunisation.
Through the Immunisation Accelerator, we are seeking scalable, context-driven solutions. We look forward to receiving fresh applications and ambitious thinking that push the boundaries of what innovation can achieve.”
Thomas Breuer, Chief Global Health Officer at GSK said:
“We are proud to support Save the Children’s leadership in driving innovative, locally led solutions to improve childhood vaccination rates in Ethiopia and Nigeria. The local knowledge and capabilities generated from Save the Children’s Immunisation Accelerator, funded through a grant from GSK, are already yielding promising approaches with the potential to help transform health outcomes for children—not only in these regions, but globally. It’s inspiring to see how this initiative is shaping a healthier future, helping us get ahead of disease together.”
Innovators selected in this round will join Ethiopia based HABTech Solutions PLC, who were selected in the first round of submissions. HABTech were awarded almost $100,000 to further a digital innovation, leveraging data analytics and visualization to enhance decision-making and address the challenges associated with zero-dose immunisation in Ethiopia