Bill Gates reflects on Global Vaccine Summit in foundation blog

"This week I'm going to Abu Dhabi to attend the Global Vaccine Summit to celebrate the tremendous progress the world has made in ending polio and immunizing children," Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, writes in the foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog. "We'll be there to do just two things: first, celebrate the progress we've made in the Decade of Vaccines to reach all kids, everywhere, with the vaccines they need; and second, to share best practices and have some frank discussions on what still needs to be done," he notes, adding, "In my talk, I'm going to share some of the numbers that impress me, such as the measurement systems that have allowed Ghana to build a strong immunization system." Gates concludes, "It is crucial to build up strong routine immunization systems to protect our gains against polio and provide a platform for primary care. When the world comes together, we can set ambitious goals, we can measure our progress, and we can achieve even more" (4/22).