The central aim of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation
(IFFIm) is to save more children's lives and to do so faster, in order to support the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. By investing the majority of resources up front-"frontloading"-this innovative funding program will increase significantly the flow of aid to ensure reliable and predictable funding flows for immunisation programs and health systems development during the years up to 2015. An anticipated IFFIm investment of US$4 billion is expected to prevent 5 million child deaths between 2006 and 2015, and more than 5 million future adult deaths.

IFFIm is a new international development financing institution that is supported by sovereign donors (currently the governments of Brazil, France, Italy, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and the United
Kingdom) which will fund The GAVI Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation). The World Bank is acting as Treasury Manager of IFFIm.

IFFIm will have a financial base comprised of legally-binding payment obligations from sovereign donors. It will borrow operating funds in the international capital markets over the next 10 years, up to a prudently limited proportion of the sovereign obligations making up its financial base (gearing ratio). Given the strength of its backing from largely triple-A-rated sovereigns, and its conservative financial policies, IFFIm is expected to be rated triple-A by credit rating agencies.