GSK x Save the Children have worked in partnership since 2013, to achieve a joint vision of reducing preventable deaths and illness of children under the age of five. 

To achieve this, our partnership involves both organisations working together in new ways to:

  • Improve access to basic healthcare – prevention and treatment – where the need is greatest
  • Train and equip health workers in the poorest communities
  • Develop child-friendly medicines with the potential to help save more lives
  • Work at local and global levels to call for stronger child health policies

After 10 years working closely together we renewed the partnership in 2023 for another 5 years initially and a greater focus on a world where no child suffers from a vaccine preventable disease and every child’s health is protected.

Our impact since 2013

#10yearstogether

In 2013, we fostered an innovative, strategic, shared value partnership which combined our global expertise, skills and energy to reduce preventable deaths and illness of children under five.

GSK have supported Save the Children’s health programmes globally, including through GSK’s 20% Reinvestment Initiative, where 20% of the profits made in least developed countries (LDCs) were reinvested in programmes to strengthen healthcare. In addition, GSK have supported Save the Children’s malaria prevention work in Kenya. 

GSK demonstrate a clear commitment to strengthening access to healthcare around the world and focus on sharing their scientific expertise with external partners to tackle the healthcare needs of people globally. By continuing to work collaboratively there is the opportunity to further build on our commitments and take even greater steps to overcome some of the most frequent barriers to accessing healthcare in some of the world’s poorest communities. 

Between 2013-2023, we have:

  • Supported more than 3.5 million children across 51 countries 
  • Trained 38,000 health workers and supported 21,000 community health workers 
  • Immunised more than 240,000 children under five against preventable diseases  
  • Treated more than 807,000 cases of children for malaria, pneumonia or diarrhoea  
  • Raised £5.6 million through GSK employees in over 70 countries.
  • Supported the Green Climate Fund and an Anticipatory Action to prepare for and lessen the impact of climate-related disasters.

Look back on some of the fantastic highlights from the last 10 years of our partnership - watch our 10 year film:

We've taken some key learnings from the last few years, including:

  • A comprehensive approach focusing on improving demand, management, and delivery of vaccines in hard-to-reach areas was crucial to improve access to immunisation services.
  • Combining community interventions to health system strengthening activities allowed the project to increase demand and be particularly impactful in achieving higher immunisation coverage.
  • Building the capacity of influential community leaders and engaging them in immunisation service delivery proved very important to improve the uptake of immunisation in the communities. For instance, the community leaders’ involvement in community awareness creation on routine vaccination was fundamental to convince community members to continue the vaccination of their children.
  • Community conversation sessions were a good platform to help community learn about Vaccine Preventable Diseases and change their attitude. That also had a multiplier effect as the mothers/caregivers who took part in the sessions promoted the change in knowledge and attitude with other community members.
  • Providing technical and logistical support, improving data management to better plan and manage vaccination services, ad creating synergies with established interventions (including the WHO’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation and recommended Reaching Every District/Child approaches)  stimulated ownership and engagement by local stakeholders. That, in turn, promoted sustainability.

These and many more learnings from the last 10 years of partnership, are influencing and driving us to achieve the greatest and most sustainable impact for children.

image credit

: Hanna Adcock | Save the Children