Your Excellencies,
Honourable Ministers,
Distinguished Guests,
Colleagues and Partners,

Every life begins with the right to protection, and yet too many children remain unreached by the vaccines that can save them.

For the African Union, leading by doing means advancing a future where our health systems are resilient, inclusive and self-reliant, anchored in regional manufacturing, strong regulatory institutions and equitable access for all.

On b\ehalf of the African Union Commission, I thank Gavi for convening this vital summit and for its enduring partnership with Africa. Since formalising our Memorandum of Understanding in 2023, our collaboration has grown, not in rhetoric, but in action: from vaccine rollouts and co-financing, to strengthening delivery systems and laying foundations for regional production.

But we must look ahead.

Africa’s vision for the future is clear: a continent where no child dies for lack of a vaccine; where zero-dose children are not just reached, but retained; where vaccine equity is driven not by global charity, but by local capacity, leadership and innovation.

Gavi’s 2026–2030 strategy aligns well with this vision. Its replenishment target of USD 9 billion is more than a financial call, it is an opportunity to avert over 8 million deaths, reach 500 million children and generate over USD 100 billion in economic value. But beyond numbers, it reflects a shared commitment: to restore public confidence in health systems and build readiness for tomorrow’s risks.

Africa is already doing its part. Member States are fulfilling co-financing obligations, expanding primary health care, and accelerating regional production under the African Vaccine Manufacturing Framework.

We have appointed the first Director-General of the African Medicines Agency. The Africa CDC continues to lead by example. This is what vision in motion looks like.

We are not just asking for support—we are offering a path. A model of how regional ownership, partnerships and political will can come together to deliver results at scale.

Let us seize this moment. Let us match vision with action. Let us invest—together—in a future defined by health, dignity and opportunity for every African child.

I thank you.