Statement on the Launch of New Meningitis Group A Vaccine | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Tachi Yamada, president of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Health Program, issued the following statement to mark the launch of MenAfriVac—a new vaccine against Meningitis Group A—in Burkina Faso:

“MenAfriVac is a tremendous success story for the global health community. It is the first vaccine developed specifically for Africa, and it proves that global partnerships can develop and deliver high-quality, low-cost vaccines.

Ten years ago, we invested in the Meningitis Vaccine Project,  an innovative model that brought together PATH, the World Health Organization, African health ministers and the Serum Institute of India. Today, we celebrate the result:  a modern vaccine selling for less than US 50 cents per dose with the potential to end Africa’s deadly meningitis epidemics.  

We believe that vaccines are one of the best buys in global health. In January, Bill and Melinda Gates called on the global community to make this the Decade of Vaccines. There is no better way to launch this decade than with a new vaccine that will improve and save lives."