Every year 3m people die from diseases that could be prevented by using vaccines. Immunising people against these diseases, such as measles and hepatitis B, is therefore a great investment for developing countries and the donors who support them, and one of the most cost-effective health measures a government can take.

But innovative vaccines to prevent major diseases – such as malaria and pneumococcal disease – are developed mainly by private industry. When it comes to creating new vaccines primarily for poorer populations, limited markets in the poorest developing countries have slowed the substantial investment required. Now momentum is building behind a plan that could change the equation by creating vaccine markets for the developing world that are sufficiently robust to inspire industry to develop the vaccines needed.