BMJ Global Health: Has Gavi lived up to its promise? Quasi-experimental evidence on country immunization rates and child mortality
Pascal Jaupart of the Centre for the Study of African Economies, Lizzie Dipple of the Blavatnik School of Government, and Stefan Dercon of the Department of Economics, all at the University of Oxford, assess whether funding from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has increased immunization rates for diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT) and measles in its 51 recipient countries. According to the abstract, the researchers conclude, “Our findings provide evidence that Gavi has had a substantial impact on the fight against communicable diseases for improved population and child health in lower-income countries. In this case, the health policy to verticalize aid — specifically development assistance for health — via a specialized global fund has had positive outcomes” (12/3).