In a groundbreaking move, the Gavi Board has greenlit a series of strategic decisions aimed at bolstering vaccine manufacturing in Africa and fortifying global readiness for future health crises. The decisions, announced during a two-day meeting in Accra, Ghana, signal a proactive approach to addressing challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and building resilience for potential future health emergencies.
Setting the Stage for African Vaccine Manufacturing
At the heart of these momentous decisions is the establishment of the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), a financial mechanism designed to provide up to $1 billion to support sustainable vaccine manufacturing on the African continent. This initiative represents a pivotal step towards enhancing Africa’s capacity to respond to pandemics, outbreaks, and health emergencies, while also contributing to the robustness of global vaccine markets. Notably, AVMA will focus on prioritizing key antigens, product profiles, and vaccine platforms, as well as creating incentives for both production and finalization processes, thereby fostering a thriving, end-to-end African vaccine manufacturing ecosystem.
The Approval of AVMA marks a significant milestone in Gavi’s regional manufacturing strategy and serves as a testament to the Alliance’s commitment to supporting and empowering African vaccine manufacturing. Accompanying this landmark approval is the Board’s endorsement of a $500 million First Response Fund tasked with ensuring immediate financing for vaccine response in the event of future pandemics, addressing a critical gap observed during the COVID-19 crisis.
Solidifying Pandemic Preparedness
The decisions made by the Gavi Board also include a $22 million allocation to reinforce pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response activities, underscoring a concerted effort to establish a coordinated playbook for potential pandemic response and enhance transparency and knowledge sharing across the global ecosystem. This forward-looking approach represents a concrete step towards shaping a more inclusive and collaborative foundation for responding to future health emergencies.
Echoing a sentiment of unwavering dedication to immunization, Professor José Manuel Barroso, Chair of the Gavi Board, remarked, “Today’s historic decisions illustrate the very best of our Alliance – collaboration across the full range of immunization partners, constantly seeking to learn and improve, and most importantly, taking concrete action.”
Closing the Immunization Gap
Recognizing the imperative of bolstering routine immunization efforts disrupted by the pandemic, the Board also approved an initial $290 million funding to provide fully funded doses, enabling countries to “catch-up” children who missed routine vaccinations. This crucial initiative seeks to mitigate immunity gaps and ensure that children receive the essential vaccinations they missed during the pandemic, positioning countries to regain lost ground in their immunization programs.
Opening Doors to New Vaccines
Further broadening its scope, the Board’s decisions encompass the inclusion of the new multivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MMCV) into the Gavi portfolio, presenting at-risk countries with a powerful tool for conducting mass preventive campaigns against multiple strains of meningococcal meningitis. This progressive step aligns with Gavi’s track record of effectively mitigating meningitis outbreaks, marking a significant stride towards fortifying countries against a spectrum of infectious diseases.
Additionally, the Board confirmed the proposed shortlist for Gavi’s 2024 Vaccine Investment Strategy, laying the groundwork for the introduction of new vaccines from 2026-2030. This strategic outlook underscores Gavi’s ongoing commitment to expanding access to life-saving vaccines and underlines its pivotal role in shaping the global health landscape.
Bridging the Mind to Action Gap
Undoubtedly, the decisions emanating from the Gavi Board’s meeting in Accra represent a confluence of innovative strategies, resolute action, and unwavering commitment to safeguarding global health. As the world grapples with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and braces for potential future health challenges, Gavi’s proactive measures and strategic foresight offer a glimmer of hope and resilience for nations worldwide.
The road ahead is illumined by the transformative potential of these decisions, underscoring the collective resolve to bolster vaccine manufacturing, fortify pandemic preparedness, bridge immunization gaps, and pave the way for the introduction of new vaccines. With an unwavering commitment to leaving no one behind, Gavi’s resounding actions serve as a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and foresight in shaping a healthier, more resilient future for all.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance: Expanding Access to Lifesaving Vaccines
The Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, recently made significant strides in its mission to expand access to lifesaving vaccines across the globe. The board approved the exploration of investment cases for vaccines against various infectious diseases, including TB, group B strep, shigella, dengue, and continued support for COVID-19. Additionally, the alliance aims to establish a stockpile for vaccines against hepatitis-E. These decisions are set to pave the way for providing new innovations to lower-income countries, ultimately protecting millions more against deadly infectious diseases.
David Marlow, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, expressed the significance of these decisions, highlighting the pivotal role they play in extending protection to the most vulnerable populations. He emphasized the potential impact of making these new innovations available to the countries most in need.
Furthermore, after extensive consultations with countries and partners throughout 2023, the Board also convened to discuss the design of the Alliance’s next five-year strategic period. This strategic plan is expected to shape the investment case for Gavi’s replenishment, aimed at raising funds in support of the alliance’s work during the 2026 to 2030 strategic period.
In a collaborative effort, the Government of France, in conjunction with its African, European, and international partners, announced plans to host a high-level event in France in June 2024. This event will mark the official launch of the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator, with the Africa CDC co-hosting the initiative. Additionally, France will use this platform to host the launching of Gavi’s investment case in support of its replenishment, seeking to raise funds for immunization in lower-income countries for the 2026 to 2030 strategic period.
Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, French State Minister for Development, Francophonie, and International Partnerships, expressed France’s honor in co-hosting this event. She emphasized the importance of learning from the COVID-19 pandemic and prioritizing health sovereignty, regional production agenda, and vaccine equity. This high-level event will serve as a celebration of the collective success of Gavi and AVMA, positioning Gavi as a leader in global health through the launch of its 2026-2030 investment case.
In terms of organizational updates, Omar Abdi, Deputy Executive Director for Programmes at UNICEF, was appointed Vice-Chair of the Board, succeeding Sarah Goulding. This appointment reflects the alliance’s commitment to driving positive change and progress in its endeavors.
For those seeking to gain further insights, explainer resources on the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator and Gavi’s vaccine investment strategies are available on Gavi’s Vaccines Work platform.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, stands as a public-private partnership that has made remarkable strides in immunizing over 1 billion children and preventing more than 17.3 million future deaths. With a focus on protecting the next generation, Gavi remains dedicated to leveraging innovative finance and technology to save lives, prevent outbreaks, and drive countries towards self-sufficiency.
For more information about Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and its impactful work, visit www.gavi.org and connect with the organization on Facebook and Twitter.
