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GAVI Board Teleconference

26 November 2001

Summary Report (Word - 30K)

Topics:

• Recommendations from the 5th Round of Country Proposal Review
• Recommendations from the IRC and the Working Group concerning cross-cutting issues
• Finalization of Roles and Responsibilities paper
• Finalization of Ottawa Meeting Summary Report
• Other Business

1. Recommendations from the 5th Round of Country Proposal Review

• The Board again congratulated the Independent Review Committee on its comprehensive and thorough review of the country proposals received.
  
  
• The committee had reviewed proposals from 29 countries, comprising a total of 59 requests for immunization services support, new vaccines and injection safety. In addition, the committee had reviewed 14 inception reports from countries that were approved for support in the first two rounds.
  
  
• The Board endorsed all of the recommendations of the Independent Review Committee concerning new proposals. Specific recommendations were that:
  
  
  • requests for immunization services support from Burundi, Cambodia, Comoros, Ethiopia, Gambia, Georgia, Lesotho and Nepal receive approval;
    
    
  • requests for vaccines from Benin, Burundi, Georgia, Guinea, Mali, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Yemen receive approval;
    
    
  • requests for injection safety support from Burundi, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Lao PDR, Nepal, and Sri Lanka receive approval;
    
    
  • requests for immunization services support from Eritrea, Guinea, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Niger, Senegal, and Sudan receive approval, with clarifications * ;
    
    
  • requests for vaccines from Gambia and Moldova receive approval, with clarifications * ;
    
    
  • requests for injection safety support from Georgia, Myanmar, Senegal, and Sudan receive approval, with clarifications * ;
    
    
  • the proposal from India be handled separately, with the recommendation be presented to the Board at a later date
    
    
• The Board also endorsed the recommendation of the IRC that all 14 inception reports received – from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Ghana, Guyana, Kenya, Kyrgyz Repupblic, Lao PDR, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Sâo Tomé & Principe, Tanzania, Uganda – be considered satisfactory, and that the second tranche of immunization services support be released and vaccine orders be placed for those countries.
  
  
• The Board requests The Vaccine Fund Board to approve the recommendations concerning new proposals, for which financial implications are estimated to be $37,4 million for the years 2002 and 2003. The five-year commitment is estimated to be in the order of US$138 million, given current vaccine prices and assuming that the countries consistently reach their targets for immunized children.
  
  
• The Board also requests The Vaccine Fund Board to approve the recommendation concerning the inception reports, which represents a financial commitment estimated to be $34,3 million for the year 2002.
  
  
• The Chair proposed that at a future Board meeting, the issue of why some Fund-eligible countries have not yet submitted proposals should be reviewed.

* In line with current policy, as soon as satisfactory clarifications are received at the Secretariat these proposals will be considered approved.

2. Recommendations from the IRC and the Working Group concerning cross-cutting issues

• Vaccine Supply: The manufacturer of the combination vaccine DTP-hepB and DTP-hepB-Hib is facing manufacturing difficulties and will not be able to meet the projected needs of countries supported by GAVI and The Vaccine Fund. The available supply of these vaccines will meet the needs of countries that have already introduced these vaccines, but there is not enough for newly approved countries.
  
  
  • The Board supports the recommendation that, in line with current GAVI policy, countries requesting DTP-hepB be offered monovalent hepB, and countries requesting DTP-hepB-Hib be offered monovalent hepB and combination DTP-Hib, which will be available imminently. Also in line with current policy, GAVI Partners are urged to provide extra support to countries that are not able to receive their first-choice vaccine presentations.
    
    
  • The Board looks forward to the analyses being commissioned by the Financing Task Force to examine the current state of vaccine industry given recent major changes causing significant capacity constraints, and to determine the lessons learnt so far in the procurement of vaccines in line with various partners’ responsibilities. These analyses will be presented to the Board at its June 2002 meeting.
    
    
• The Netherlands encouraged GAVI partners to support the Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers network, in light of the shortage in supply of combination vaccines.
  
  
• Communication with countries on supply issues: The Board endorsed the recommendation that UNICEF Supply Division prepare a notice concerning the vaccine supply situatation, for distribution with decision letters to countries. In addition, the Working Group members should distribute this notice broadly to their regional and national constituencies, specifically targetting the countries where the issue is most pertinent.
  
  
• Additional Financial Support: The Board requested that the Working Group consider new policies for providing additional financial support to countries, and the longer-term issues of financial sustainability, at its next meeting at the end of November. The Working Group should indicate the financial implications of, for example, providing a flat payment for all countries introducing new vaccines, increasing the minimum amount of funding for immunization services, prolonging the share investment, or paying shares twice for each new child immunized. Recommendations should be presented to the Board as soon as they are ready.
  
  
• Provision of AD Syringes to Eastern European countries: The Board requested WHO to follow up with WHO-Euro on CIS-CEE immunization schedules in order to formulate a proposal for Board approval regarding whether the Vaccine Fund should provide AD syringes based on national immunization schedules or globally accepted minimum standards. Options should be presented to the Board as soon as they are ready.

3. Finalization of Roles and Responsibilities paper

Download Word document (424kb)

• The paper is acceptable as it has been revised, not as a final picture of the GAVI structures and relationships but as a document that guides the upcoming work to determine the future structures and mechanisms of the Alliance.
  
  
• The paper will be attached to the report of this teleconference, rather than to the report of the Board Meeting in Ottawa.
  
  
• A sub-group of the Board, led by the CDC, will develop terms of reference for an external review of the process and structures of GAVI and The Vaccine Fund, and the inter-relationship between its functions. It is envisioned that this review would be conducted in the first part of 2002, for presentation to the Board at the June Board meeting.

4. Finalization of Ottawa Meeting Summary Report

• Revised summary report is approved, with minor adjustments.

Download Report (Word document – 31kb)

5. Other Business

• The Board is requested to be available for a teleconference the week of 10-15 January. The Secretariat will follow up with further information on precise timing and agenda.

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