Gavi CEO meets PM, discusses strategic partnership in vaccine

Berkley was appreciative of the new innovative government initiatives, such as 'Mission Indradhanush' and 'Make in India', both of which are improving childhood immunisation in India, a PMO statement said.

Mission Indradhanush reaches the unvaccinated children.

During the meeting, Gavi's proposed new strategic partnership with India for 2016-2021 was discussed, which includes India's forthcoming rollout of vaccines that will protect children against causes of the biggest childhood killers, pneumonia and diarrhoea, as well as others such as measles-rubella and cervical cancer vaccines, it said.

They also discussed affordability, quality assurance and sustainability as well as using environmentally-sustainable technologies such as solar to improve the vaccine cold chain, not just in India but in all developing countries.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is a public-private global health partnership committed to increasing access to immunisation in poor countries.

It brings together developing countries and donor governments, the WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrialised and developing countries, research and technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private philanthropists.