TikTok donates $10 million towards routine and Covid-19 vaccine development efforts




Global short-form video platform, TikTok, has announced that it will donate $10 million to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to go towards supporting efforts for both routine vaccinations against existing infectious diseases in Africa, as well as future deployment of COVID-19 vaccines. The contribution will be matched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through its support to the Gavi Matching Fund, a public-private funding mechanism designed to incentivise private sector investments in immunisation, bringing the total package of support to $20 million.

Amidst the global COVID-19 outbreak, TikTok is committed to supporting communities that have been deeply impacted by the coronavirus crisis in ways that are positive and beneficial. This donation will help build a sustainable immunisation programme by ensuring the continuity of existing vaccines even amidst disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensuring equal access to the future COVID-19 vaccines, contributing to strengthening Africa’s health systems in general and allowing TikTok to make a real impact in ensuring the health and safety of Africans in the long-term.

In addition to supporting immunisation in Africa, TikTok has also continued to support front line medical workers, educators, and local communities affected by COVID-19, both on and off the platform through various financial and educational efforts. TikTok recently launched the #WashingHands campaign which shared health and safety tips with the community and the #Love2Learn campaign which encouraged creative learning at home.

Speaking to the importance of the cause, TikTok said: “TikTok was created to inspire creativity and bring joy to the community. In the face of this unprecedented crisis, we are committed to playing our part in the global outpouring of mutual support and giving, and providing concrete relief for those most affected. We believe this support can go a long way in the improvement of a robust and sustainable immunisation programme in African countries, in particular ensuring equal access to the future COVID-19 vaccines, making a real difference to the health and safety of the African community in the long term.”

“This important contribution to Gavi will not only help us to deploy vaccines, once developed, against COVID-19, but it will also help us prevent a potentially catastrophic impact on immunisation programmes across the developing world,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi. “Working with global innovators such as TikTok lies at the heart of Gavi’s public-private partnership model. The results we’ve achieved over the past two decades have only been possible thanks to the unique combination of expertise from our global public sector partners and the business acumen, creativity and entrepreneurship of the private sector. We thank TikTok for their support and the work they are doing in combating COVID-19, and look forward to even closer collaboration in the future.”

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunise a whole generation – over 760 million children – and prevented more than 13 million deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 73 developing countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningitis and yellow fever vaccines. After two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation and reaching the unvaccinated children still being left behind, employing innovative finance and the latest technology – from drones to biometrics – to save millions more lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency.

The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, and other private sector partners.

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