Save the Children has launched a new search for partners to help increase vaccination rates for children in Nigeria and Ethiopia. This is part of their Immunisation Accelerator programme.
The programme is supported by a \$1 million grant from global health company GSK. It aims to support bold and local ideas that can help overcome the challenges stopping children from getting life-saving vaccines.
This is the second time the programme is being run. It is open to many types of organisations, such as local community groups, NGOs, research teams, social businesses, and tech companies working in Nigeria or Ethiopia.
Chosen projects will get up to \$100,000 in funding. They will also receive expert help to turn their ideas into real solutions.
The programme focuses on helping “zero-dose” children—those who have never received even one routine vaccine.
These children are at higher risk of catching diseases like measles, cholera, and polio. Right now, Nigeria has around 2.1 million zero-dose children, and Ethiopia has nearly one million.
Winners of the programme will get to test their ideas in real-world vaccination programmes run by Save the Children and GSK.
The goal is to improve both the delivery of vaccines and community awareness, by solving logistical problems and using new technologies.
Ermias Teshome, who leads the Immunisation Accelerator, said that new and creative solutions are urgently needed because of challenges like war and climate change.
He stressed that local ideas are key to fixing both supply and demand issues in vaccination. He said they are looking for practical, scalable ideas and are excited to see what new applicants will bring.
Thomas Breuer, the Chief Global Health Officer at GSK, agreed. He said GSK is proud to support locally led solutions that improve child vaccination in Ethiopia and Nigeria.
He added that the programme is already creating helpful local solutions that could improve children’s health not just in Africa, but worldwide. He said it’s inspiring to see how this work is building a healthier future.
One of the winners from the first round was HABTech Solutions PLC, a company in Ethiopia. They received almost \$100,000 to build a digital tool that uses data and visual charts to help with vaccine planning and reach zero-dose children.
Applications for the second round are now open, giving new innovators a chance to join the mission to make sure every child gets the vaccines they need.
