Cost of Saving 500m Children Equals 4 B-2 Bombers - Let's Make the Right Choice - Mahama

Brussels, Belgium - 27 June, 2025 - President John Dramani Mahama is calling on world leaders to rethink their priorities when it comes to global spending.

Speaking at the Global Health Summit in Brussels, Mahama highlighted the stark contrast between the cost of military hardware and the cost of saving children's lives through immunization.

According to Mahama, the Gavi Alliance's plan to spend $9 billion to vaccinate 500 million children across the world is a fraction of what is spent on military equipment. 

 B-2 Spirit bomber costs $2.13 billion, which is roughly equivalent to a quarter of Gavi's entire budget.

“If you work the math, Gavi seeks the value of four of those B-2 bombers,” he said.

“Surely, the world can invest the equivalent cost of four B-2 bombers to save 500 million children. It’s a choice we have to make. It’s a choice we have to make between taking lives and saving lives, and I am sure we will save lives instead of taking them,” he added.

Mahama's appeal comes as the world grapples with pressing health challenges and rising insecurity. He believes that prioritizing child immunization could have a significant impact on reducing child mortality rates and improving health outcomes in developing countries.

Ghana has been a strong supporter of the Gavi Alliance, which works to expand access to vaccines in lower-income countries. Mahama's comments are in line with the country's broader efforts to improve child health and immunization rates.

Source: Lead News Online