October 4, 2024, SEOUL, Republic of Korea – The flag of the Republic of El Salvador was raised at IVI today to mark the country’s accession to IVI’s Establishment Agreement, the UN treaty that founded the international organization in 1996.

Honorable Dr. Carlos Gabriel Alvarenga Cardoza, Vice Minister for Policies and Health Management, led a delegation of health officials to IVI during an official trip to the Republic of Korea (ROK) and raised the flag at IVI’s headquarters. H.E. Jaime José López, Ambassador of El Salvador to the ROK, and Mr. YOO Byungseok, Deputy Director-General for International Organizations and Nuclear Affairs in the ROK’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the accession ceremony.

George Bickerstaff, Chairperson of IVI’s Board of Trustees, said: “We look forward to continuing conversations around how IVI can not only multiply efforts with El Salvador to strengthen capacities nationally, but to build—across the Latin American region—human resources, epidemiological and lab research, vaccine development, and a collaborative networking association. On behalf of IVI and our international community of members and supporters, it is a pleasure to welcome El Salvador to IVI.”

Hon. Dr. Carlos Gabriel Alvarenga Cardoza, Vice Minister for Policies and Health Management, said: “The work of IVI is vital—especially in ensuring that vulnerable populations are not left behind in the global quest for health security. From laboratory research on new vaccines to clinical trials that prioritize the most needed communities, IVI’s commitment to developing and distributing safe and accessible vaccines is aligned with the values that El Salvador holds. This partnership represents not only a step forward in our nation’s health strategies but also a deepening of our role in the global health area.”

Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of IVI, said: “We hope today’s flag-raising ceremony will mark the beginning of a new partnership between El Salvador and IVI. With the modernization of supply chains for vaccines and medications built into El Salvador’s national health plan and IVI’s growing membership and number of research projects in the region, we are well poised to make true progress and impact on the prevention and elimination of infectious diseases. We are particularly grateful to the Embassy of El Salvador in Seoul for facilitating a smooth and collaborative accession process.”

The IVI Establishment Agreement remains open for accession by any state or intergovernmental organization.

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About the International Vaccine Institute (IVI)
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is a non-profit international organization established in 1997 at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme with a mission to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global health.

IVI’s current portfolio includes vaccines at all stages of pre-clinical and clinical development for infectious diseases that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries, such as cholera, typhoid, chikungunya, shigella, salmonella, schistosomiasis, hepatitis E, HPV, COVID-19, and more. IVI developed the world’s first low-cost oral cholera vaccine, pre-qualified by the World Health Organization (WHO), and developed a new-generation typhoid conjugate vaccine that also achieved WHO prequalification in early 2024.

IVI is headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea with a Europe Regional Office in Sweden, an Africa Regional Office in Rwanda, a Country Office in Austria, and a Country and Project Office in Kenya. IVI additionally co-founded the Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute in Hong Kong and hosts Collaborating Centers in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Madagascar. 42 countries and the WHO are members of IVI, and the governments of the Republic of Korea, Sweden, India, Finland, Austria, and Thailand provide state funding. For more information, please visit https://www.ivi.int.

CONTACT

Aerie Em, Global Communications & Advocacy Manager
+82 2 881 1386 | aerie.em@www.ivi.int