Nature: Make vaccine coverage a key U.N. health indicator
Seth Berkley, chief executive of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

“…A true indicator of [Universal Health Coverage (UHC)] should be an intervention that every country can readily measure, that speaks to equitable access and quality, and that will reliably ensure the health of a population. Immunization is such an indicator. … That is why some voices, including that of my organization, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, are calling for the Global Goals framework to make full childhood immunization a separate ambitious indicator of UHC in its own right. … If immunization is not made a separate indicator, then the U.N. should make clear that some of the tracers on its long list — including immunization — carry more weight than others. After all, as the old adage goes, when it comes to health, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” (10/6).