South Korea Tuesday said it will provide a global vaccine aid group with $12 million over the next three years.

The Foreign Ministry said it has signed a related memorandum of understanding with the Gavi Alliance, formerly known as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, at its headquarters in Geneva.

It is an international organization with the goal of saving children's lives and protecting people by increasing access to immunization in poor countries. 

Since its inception in 2000, the group has immunized around 500 million kids around the world, and prevented the deaths of more than 7 million babies and infants, according to the ministry.

Gavi has also provided North Korea with roughly $28 million in vaccines and other assistance between 2002-2014.

The ministry said its aid plan represents Seoul's top priority in children's health care.

"Also considered was Gavi's close cooperation with South Korean companies (in the supply of vaccines)," it said.

Hosting a meeting of the Global Health Security Agenda last month, South Korea unveiled its plan to provide 13 countries with $100 million in aid over the next five years in the "Save Life for All" program designed to help them combat infectious diseases.

The 13 countries are Ghana, Ethiopia, Jordan, Cambodia, Laos, Uzbekistan, Peru, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast and Mali. (Yonhap)