16th GAVI BOARD MEETING
Paris, France, 19-20 July, 2005
Summary Report

5. New vaccines in phase 2

• Financial implications of current policies do limit GAVI’s ability to take on new investments. Therefore it is critical that the Board be presented with a better analysis of resource availability – considering current commitments and potential future commitments based on current policies – before it is asked to make decisions on new policies.
• The presentation lacked clarity. Specifically, Board members disagreed as to whether the stated funding envelope of $1.3 billion should be considered within current investment policies, or as a new investment.
• GAVI support should be better integrated into the national planning and budgeting cycles. Thus, financial sustainability planning needs to be included in the application with consideration of co-financing from the outset.
• Countries need to have full information on the financial implications of adding new vaccines to their routine systems before they introduce that vaccine.
• Experience with bridge financing, particularly in the development of MOUs and management of co-payments will inform this process.
• The bridge financing principles would apply to Hib and HepB containing vaccines, as well as yellow fever.
• GAVI must align its policies regarding how much support different countries are eligible to receive. This applies to the lowest income countries, as well as large population countries.
• At the conclusion of GAVI support, governments and their partners would be expected assume the costs of the vaccines.

DECISIONS

The Board:

5.1 Affirmed its current policy regarding supporting countries to introduce HepB and Hib as appropriate and in consideration of disease burden. Policies for the provision of this support must be aligned with those applicable to bridge financing and the recommendations of the country consultation process.

5.2 Agreed that a decision should be deferred and requested the Secretariat to clarify the proposal on the table, including an analysis of how demand for new vaccines in phase 2 might be affected by a requirement for co-financing from countries at the outset.

5.3 Welcomed the suggestion by the Secretariat to distribute a paper that lays out the main recommendations and budgetary implications regarding policies to support countries to introduce new vaccines in phase 2.

5.4 Agreed that a decision could be made via email exchange so as not to delay resolution until the December Board meeting.