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GAVI Board Teleconference
8 January 2002
Summary Report (Word - 33K)
Topics:
1. Recommendations from the Independent Review Committee
- India: The Board approved the recommendation of the IRC to support India’s proposal for a two-year phased introduction of hepB vaccine and AD syringes in selected slum areas in 15 cities and in 32 districts, starting in July 2002. At the end of this period, the experiences gained would be the basis of a long-term policy for nationwide integration of hepB into the Universal Immunization Program.
The IRC had requested a few clarifications; these have already been provided to the Secretariat. Therefore the proposal is being given outright approval.
- Indonesia: The Board agreed with the recommendation of the IRC to grant Indonesia conditional approval . Indonesia will need to submit the following information for a subsequent review by the IRC that includes the following information: a detailed plan of action for the proposed nation-wide expansion hepB birth dose vaccine for the first two implementing years; and plans to strengthen the function of the ICC.
In the future, the Board may consider entrusting the IRC to assess whether conditions have been met satisfactorily. However, the Board would like the opportunity to look at Indonesia’s proposal again.
As ICCs require support of all partners at the country level, Board members are requested to advocate among their national counterparts to support the government of Indonesia in its efforts to build a stronger ICC. In Indonesia’s case, where the government had long been self-sufficient in supporting immunization, one of the main tasks of the ICC will be to advocate for and support the MOH in ensuring continued government funding for immunization.
- Mozambique: The Board also endorsed the recommendation of the IRC that the inception report received from Mozambique be considered satisfactory, and that the second tranche of immunization services support be released and vaccine orders be placed.
- The Board requests The Vaccine Fund Board to approve the recommendations concerning the India proposal, for which financial implication is estimated to be $4,1 million for the years 2002 and 2003. .
- The Board also requests The Vaccine Fund Board to approve the recommendation concerning the Mozambique inception report, which represents a financial commitment estimated to be $ 2,6 million for the year 2002.
2. Financial support to countries introducing new vaccines
3. New GAVI Board member
- The Board endorsed the nomination of the United States, represented by Dr. E. Anne Peterson, Assistant Administrator for the Global Health Bureau of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), to fill the seat being vacated by The Netherlands. The United States will serve on the GAVI Board from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2003. The Secretariat will notify the United States of this decision.
- In its role as communication focal point for the OECD members of the GAVI Board, Norway offered to take an active role in promoting membership on the GAVI Board in order to solicit more OECD country nominations in the future. The World Health Assembly and Board meetings of UNICEF may be useful for this purpose.
- Enquiries concerning the NGO seat on the Board which will be vacated in June 2002 should be directed to CVP, which currently represents this constituency.
- The United States is also represented on the GAVI Working Group by Dr Steve Landry of USAID. The industrialized country constituency has earlier agreed to consider rotating this seat in such a situation. Norway will take the lead in resolving this issue. In case the decision is made to make a rotation, the basic guidelines require that an individual with the required skill base according to current priority activities should be identified, in consultation with the Working Group Chair (the Executive Secretary).
4. Draft TORs for Board review of GAVI management
- Some Board members felt that a management review at this point would distract GAVI from its primary goal of immunizing more children. However, during previous discussions the Board agreed that an independent review would be the most effective way to address the questions raised in the Roles and Responsibilities paper. This paper, first reviewed by the Board at the Ottawa meeting, was adopted as an issues paper regarding the GAVI process at the global level during the teleconference on 26 November 2001.
- The Board therefore decided to proceed with this review based on the TORs and timeframe developed by the Board subgroup of CDC, WHO, and the UK. The review as proposed is well-focused and will be completed in a timely fashion. The team to conduct the review will be two people, external to GAVI and/or drawn from GAVI Board members who are not represented on the Working Group.
- Proposed candidates have been circulated to the Board on 9 January; the Board will review these candidates, and suggest alternative names if considered. Candidates should be submitted to Julian Lob-Levyt at DfID before the end of next week (COB 18 January). The final selection will then be made by the Chair and CDC/DFID/WHO group.
- Board members may also wish to provide written comments on the direction and methods of the management review. These should be submitted to DfID, CDC or WHO by 18 January.
- The entire Board will need to buy in to the process. This may be a reason to schedule an additional meeting before the June meeting.
5. Future meetings and other business
- The current practice of two meetings per year and occasional teleconferences as needed is supported by the Board. More frequent teleconferences may be required during intensive periods, especially when decisions on proposals and policies concerning funding to countries are required. Important decisions should not be delayed, but monthly teleconferences should not become an operating procedure.
- The Board is satisfied with the practice of considering recommendations of the IRC during teleconferences, as necessary. However, more complex issues are not adequately addressed by teleconference and are better explored in face-to-face meetings.
- An additional meeting in the first half of 2002 may be considered. To coincide with a scheduled conference in Stockholm, the date of 11 March is proposed. The Secretariat will consider the substantive issues that are arising over the next months and solicit the Board’s views whether this extra meeting is needed.
- Schedule of upcoming meetings:
- Next Board teleconference : 6 February. Major issue: results-based allocation of funds.
- Next Board meeting: 19-20 June. Board to be advised of location in mid February. Pasteur Institut has offered to host a future Board meeting in Paris.
- Partners’ meeting: Week of 18 November, to be located in a developing country. The Pasteur Institute has offered the administrative support of its Institute in Dakar, Senegal to help organize the Partners’ Meeting there. The Secretariat will explore this and other options, as the meeting should be hosted by a government. The Secretariat will advise the Board of the outcome of its explorations at the next teleconference.
- A new report, “New products into old systems: The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI) from a country perspective” commissioned by Save the Children UK and conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, will be published in an upcoming issue of the British Medical Journal. It may also be disseminated in the context of the WHO Executive Board meeting. The study is quite balanced and informative; it will be made available on the GAVI website.
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