* 'Nobody should be mistaken that reversing the gains of the past 25 years of immunization is anything other than a grave threat to us all,' says agency
**GENEVA**
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday raised the alarm over reported plans by the US government to end its support for Gavi, the vaccine alliance, saying that it could severely undermine global immunization efforts and threaten millions of lives.
WHO's statement came in response to the recent reports of a decision that the US government will end its support for Gavi, which was set up 20 years ago to increase access to vaccines for the world's poorest countries.
The UN agency, in a statement, underlined the vital role Gavi has played in protecting vulnerable children worldwide.
Since its creation in 2000, Gavi has helped immunize more than 1 billion children, cutting child mortality in half across 78 lower-income countries. The WHO stressed that "cuts in the investments to Gavi pose a massive threat to unravel this progress."
Highlighting Gavi's contribution to global health security, the agency noted that "infectious diseases do not stop at borders," and warned that reduced immunization coverage would lead to "more zero-dose children, more disease outbreaks, more diseases crossing borders, more threats to health and more children who never reach even their 5th birthday."
The WHO described immunization as "a 'best buy' in health," citing a $54 return for every dollar invested. It emphasized that Gavi’s work "has helped to save more lives and further vaccine equity – ensuring children who never receive a single vaccine are reached."
The agency concluded with a stark warning, saying: "Nobody should be mistaken that reversing the gains of the past 25 years of immunization is anything other than a grave threat to us all."
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