Emerging world's vaccine pioneers

Vaccines work wonders. They prevent disease from striking, which is better than treating it after the fact. They are also relatively cheap and easy to deliver. Yet millions of children do not get them. This has always been stunning to me. When we started the Gates Foundation 15 years ago, we assumed that all of the obvious steps were already being taken, and that we would have to go after the expensive or unproven solutions. In fact, delivering basic vaccines is still one of our top priorities.

As I look ahead to 2014, I am more optimistic than ever about the progress that we can make using the power of vaccines to give all children -wherever they live - a healthy start to life. We have new resources from generous donors worldwide. We are developing new and better vaccines to protect kids from deadly diseases. And we are finding innovative ways to deliver them, especially in hard-to-reach areas.

One of the most exciting, and often overlooked, developments in the global push to give all children access to immunization is the growing role of vaccine suppliers in emerging economies. Countries like Brazil, China, and India have made tremendous progress in their health and development challenges. Now they are using their experience and technical capacity to help other countries make similar progress.

You have probably never heard of many of the pharmaceutical companies - Serum Institute of India, Bharat Biotech, Biological E, China National Biotec Group, and Bio-Manguinhos, to name just a few - that have become some of our most valuable partners in global health. By harnessing the same innovative spirit that transformed emerging markets into manufacturing hubs for everything from cars to computers, these companies have become leaders in supplying the world with high quality, low-cost vaccines.

The increased competition and new manufacturing approaches created by these companies have made it possible to protect a child against eight major diseases - including tetanus, whooping cough, polio, and tuberculosis -for less than $30. Serum Institute produces a higher volume of vaccines than any other company in the world and has played a key role in cutting costs and boosting volumes.

Thanks to the efforts of these suppliers and their close partnerships with the GAVI Alliance, multinational vaccine manufacturers, and international donors, more than 100 million children a year - more than ever before - are being immunized. As more suppliers enter the market and stimulate competition with innovative manufacturing techniques, prices will likely drop even further.