Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, invoking his own mother's lifelong battle with polio, announced that Greece would more than double its financial contribution to the global vaccine alliance GAVI, making a personal and pointed appeal for solidarity as other major donors cut funding.
Speaking at a high-level immunization summit in Brussels, with philanthropist Bill Gates in attendance, Mr. Mitsotakis made a surprise announcement that Greece would increase its planned pledge from €2 million to €5 million.
He began his address with the story of his late mother, who contracted polio during World War II.
“She received the best care possible and lived a full, though difficult, life,” he said. “She was one of the lucky ones. Many children were not.”
The announcement comes as GAVI seeks to raise $9 billion to fund its next five-year immunization plan amid what Mr. Gates has called a "man-made global health crisis" spurred by cuts in foreign aid.
The U.S., traditionally a cornerstone of global health funding, has signaled its intention to significantly reduce its contributions.
In a sharp comparison, Mr. Mitsotakis linked Greece's increased pledge to its military spending.
“If we can — and rightly so — allocate 5% of our GDP to defense in the coming years, surely we can afford €5 million to GAVI,” he stated.
The Greek leader praised GAVI as a model of public-private partnership that has saved millions of lives but warned that its mission is being threatened by rising vaccine skepticism and donor fatigue.
“It is our duty to ensure that this mission endures,” he said, framing the increased contribution from Greece and other European nations as essential to filling the funding gap left by others.