Brussels Becomes the Global Health Capital: Gavi Replenishment Conference 2025

On June 25, 2025, Brussels will take center stage in global health: The European Union and the Gates Foundation are jointly hosting the high-level pledging summit for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. This replenishment conference, held every five years, aims to mobilize at least $9 billion for Gavi’s next strategic period (2026–2030). These funds are urgently needed to save millions of lives, spur economic development, and strengthen global preparedness for future pandemics.

The summit brings together political leaders, international organizations, civil society representatives, vaccine manufacturers, and private sector actors. Together, they aim to send a strong signal of solidarity and responsibility—particularly at a time when the multilateral commitment of some traditional donor countries is faltering. Uncertainty surrounds the role of the United States: Following withdrawals from several global health initiatives, fears are mounting that Washington may also reduce or end its funding for Gavi. It remains unclear whether and to what extent the U.S. will contribute to the upcoming strategic period—dubbed “Gavi 6.0”.

Since its founding in 2000, Gavi has vaccinated more than 1.1 billion children worldwide, averted 18.8 million deaths, and generated over $250 billion in economic benefits for low-income countries. These remarkable achievements highlight how critical investments in vaccination programs are for global health and stability. Gavi 6.0 is Gavi’s most ambitious strategic period to date, setting new benchmarks for impact, partnership, and country ownership.

As part of Gavi 6.0, the alliance has launched a comprehensive reform process known as the “Gavi Leap.” This initiative is designed to fundamentally transform the organization, making it more responsive to partner country needs. Key reforms include simplifying funding mechanisms, strengthening country-centered approaches, promoting ownership, and clarifying mandates within the global health architecture. Instead of eight parallel funding streams, a single unified application process will be introduced, aligned with national priorities. Gavi is thus sending a strong signal for increased efficiency and transparency—placing countries at the heart of its operations.

At its core, the strategy seeks to vaccinate at least 500 million children, save 8 to 9 million lives, and tackle more than 150 disease outbreaks early. This includes diseases such as measles, polio, dengue, malaria, and HPV. Gavi is also stepping up support for local vaccine manufacturing, notably through the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA).

These goals could be achieved by Gavi through a successful replenishment process, alongside the large-scale introduction of new vaccines. In addition, Gavi aims to respond to over 150 disease outbreaks and generate more than $100 billion in economic benefits for partner countries. Notably, the supported countries themselves plan to contribute $4 billion in co-financing—an expression of growing national ownership.

But none of this will be possible without new political and financial commitments. Norway recently pledged 10 billion Norwegian kroner (approximately €870 million). The Brussels summit is far more than a fundraising event: it is a crucial test of multilateral cooperation’s capacity to act. Germany also plays a key role: as a long-standing and reliable Gavi partner, the Federal Republic contributes significantly to global vaccine and health equity.