PM makes pledge to vaccinate the world's poorest children

David Cameron today pledged an additional £814 million to vaccinate more than 80 million children worldwide against diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea.

The Prime Minister said that the money would help to save 1.4 million lives in the developing world over the next five years - but he admitted that some people would view the aid as "controversial" at a time of cuts at home.

Mr Cameron told the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi) conference in London: "Britain will play its full part.

"In addition to our existing support, we will provide £814 million of new funding up to 2015. This will help vaccinate over 80 million children and save 1.4 million lives. That is one child vaccinated every two seconds for five years.

It is one child's life saved every two minutes. That is what the money that the British taxpayer is putting in will give."

World leaders, charities, private companies and philanthropists, including Microsoft's Bill Gates - who personally pledged an extra £616 million over the next five years - were at the conference.