In its first decade, the GAVI Alliance has helped prevent the deaths of more than five million children by introducing more widespread vaccination in low-income countries, “[b]ut, going forward, the alliance is going to have to think more about getting parents to vaccinate their kids – the demand side of health – especially if it wants to repeat the huge victory of wiping out a disease” such as smallpox, Charles Kenny writes in his weekly column for Foreign Policy.

“The long-term answer to raising vaccination levels worldwide is to spread knowledge of their safety and efficacy. … In the meantime, providing direct incentives to people to get their kids vaccinated are likely to have a more immediate impact on changing behavior – and that will reduce both the immense human costs of infectious disease and the considerable financial costs of preventing them,” he concludes (6/27).