The GAVI Alliance was formed to address one of the worldís most glaring injustices: the inability of the poorest countries to provide vaccines for all of their children. Roughly one child in four does not receive any vaccinations. Of the 130 million children born each year, two to three million will die from vaccine-preventable diseases. Read about vaccine-preventable diseases. An historic alliance between the private and public sector, GAVI harnesses the strengths of multiple partners in immunization, including governments, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, vaccine manufacturers, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and research institutes. Read about GAVI's added value. The belief that all children ñ no matter where they live ñ deserve a healthy start is the foundation of GAVI's work. It is unconscionable that existing vaccines ñ vaccines that save lives and cost little ñ vaccines that parents in industrialized countries take for granted ñ do not reach every child, every where. Further, when new vaccines are created, children in poor countries should not be forced to wait a decade or more to benefit. Childhood immunization is one of the best values in health care, providing tremendous benefit at very low cost. A child can be immunized for only $30. It is a near-perfect intervention, preventing disease before it is allowed to take root, protecting children when they are most vulnerable and providing them with a healthy start in life. Read about the economic impact of vaccines. The world knows how to immunize its children. It has lacked leadership and resources focused on getting the job done. Now, guided by the GAVI partners' vision, and with the GAVI Fund raising new money for global immunization, lives are being saved.