Education Above All and Gavi Join Forces to Deliver Progress on Sustainable Development Goals

EDUCATION ABOVE ALL AND GAVI JOIN FORCES TO DELIVER PROGRESS ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS Hard to reach children in Africa and Asia could benefit from the new partnership. Doha, 29 November 2016 - Education Above All Foundation (EAA) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, have today announced a new partnership to improve children’s health through community outreach and advocacy for immunisation in countries in Africa and Asia. “Education plays a crucial role in raising awareness of health challenges and shaping the attitudes and behaviours that can make a difference“, said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “We look forward to working closely with Education Above All Foundation to strengthen our immunisation efforts in Gavi-supported countries”. Education Above All (EAA) partners and Gavi will identify communities with out-of-school children and where low levels of vaccination have been recorded. They will then develop a joint community outreach strategy to improve rates of immunisation. The partnership is an important means by which the organisations can show their significant contribution towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Founder and Chairperson of Education Above All Foundation and member of the United Nations SDG Advocates, believes a collaborative approach to development is crucial. “Together, Education Above All and Gavi will work to improve health and wellbeing in some of the world’s most deprived communities”, she said. “This is just one example of the role education can play as a driver for human development, showing that increased access to quality education can support the achievement of wider development aims”. This partnership is the first of its kind for Gavi and EAA to target both SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, and SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education. It is also a showcase for SDG 17, to revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development. During a meeting with Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser in Doha, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, chair of the Gavi Board underlined that “overwhelming evidence demonstrates the benefits of immunisation as one of the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions. Minimising the burden of illness through immunisation will positively affect a child’s ability to attend school and attain high education levels.” Vaccines are protecting more children than ever before, but millions of the poorest and most vulnerable children still miss out on the basic vaccines they need to stay healthy. In 2015, around 19 million children around the world did not receive a full course of basic vaccines. Many of these children are unable to attend school, are not enrolled or have dropped out of the education system. This partnership represents a significant breakthrough in supporting vulnerable and marginalised children to better access the life-saving vaccines they need, as well as increasing access and equity in education. The partnership was announced during the third edition of the World Innnovation Summit for Health – an initiative of the Qatar Foundation that brings together over 1,000 global healthcare experts and leaders to tackle pressing healthcare challenges. Ends Notes to editors About Education Above All Foundation Education Above All (EAA) is an initiative founded in 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. EAA envisions bringing new life chances, real hope and opportunities to improve the lives of poor and marginalised children, youth and women especially in the developing world. It aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for vulnerable and marginalised people especially in the developing world, as an enabler of human development. EAA believes that education is a fundamental right for all children and an essential condition to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). It is the single most effective means of reducing poverty, generating economic growth and creating peaceful and just societies, which is at the core of EAA’s philosophy. Since its inception, EAA has been dedicated to providing education opportunities for marginalised and vulnerable children, youth and women even under the most difficult circumstances such as conflict situations, natural disaster and physical barriers. About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is a public-private partnership committed to saving children's lives and protecting people's health by increasing equitable use of vaccines in lower-income countries. The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. Gavi uses innovative finance mechanisms, including co-financing by recipient countries, to secure sustainable funding and adequate supply of quality vaccines. Since 2000, Gavi has contributed to the immunisation of nearly 580 million children and the prevention of approximately 8 million future deaths. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is funded by governments (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, the People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Russia, South Africa, Spain, the State of Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States), the European Commission, Alwaleed Philanthropies, the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as well as private and corporate partners (Absolute Return for Kids, Anglo American plc., the A&A Foundation, The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Comic Relief, the ELMA Vaccines and Immunization Foundation, The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers (IFPW), the Gulf Youth Alliance, JP Morgan, “la Caixa” Foundation, LDS Charities, Lions Clubs International Foundation, Majid Al Futtaim, Phillips, UPS and Vodafone.) .

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