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Fifth GAVI Board Meeting, 21-22 June 2001, London, England
June 2001
Framework
for Strengthening Capacity of National Immunization Services
GAVI
partners define capacity building as enhancing the ability of national
immunization systems to increase and maintain access to immunization
services, decrease the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases, and
expand the use of safe and cost-effective vaccines.
The starting
point of capacity is the ability to identify and document problems on
the ground and the power to address them – at the most appropriate level
and context.
For GAVI
partners, capacity building is a cross-cutting issue that involves the
task forces: financing, advocacy, R & D and country coordination,
regional working groups and ICC partners at country level.
GAVI’s
strategy to build capacity has two prongs:
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at
national level to use a systematic five-step approach (benchmarking,
assessment, planning, implementation, monitoring) to address gaps in
immunization systems; and
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to map and
coordinate GAVI partner activities at global and regional level to
better understand and harmonize address relevant unfilled gaps and
support country-level activities.
Implementation of this strategic framework at the national level will
differ from previous efforts in that it encompasses the operational
elements of immunization systems defined by WHO (service delivery,
vaccine supply & quality, logistics, surveillance, advocacy &
communication), but also targets and focuses capacity building
activities on the three underpinning health system functions: financing;
management; and institutional and human resource strengthening. Thus,
the framework emphasizes links to national governance and broader health
sector development.
The
five-step approach will use and strengthen the mechanisms already
endorsed by the GAVI partners: ICCs; assessments; and the multi-year
immunization plan.
To minimize
the burden in countries, the capacity strengthening framework will
proceed as far as possible using information already collected as part
of the GAVI process.
The next
step will be to benchmark "best practices" and to test an operational
framework for assessment and strengthening of national capacity-building
in 10 to 12 high- and low-performing countries from different regions.
This will contribute to strengthen the capacity-building component in
multiyear plans and focus partner support at country level.
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