GAVI and The Vaccine Fund - Overview
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization is an historic alliance between the private and public sector committed to one goal: saving children's lives and people's health through the widespread use of vaccines.
GAVI emerged in 1999 in response to stagnating immunization rates and widening global disparities in access to vaccines. International organizations, governments, the vaccine industry, research institutions, and major philanthropists collectively serve the shared GAVI objectives: expanding the reach of immunization services, introducing priority new vaccines, and establishing tools and systems to promote sustainable financing in developing countries.
The Vaccine Fund has been created to support the GAVI objectives. It provides financing to the world's poorest countries to strengthen health infrastructures and introduce new and under-used vaccines. Grants are made based on a rigorous application process in which country proposals are reviewed by a panel of experts, most of whom are themselves national health ministry staff.
GAVI's unique structure allows the alliance to capitalize on existing systems and diverse technical and on-the-ground expertise.
- The high-level GAVI Board maintains a visionary outlook in setting policies.
- The Working Group ensures that Board decisions are acted upon in the partner organizations, and a small secretariat coordinates between partners and manages the review of country proposals to The Vaccine Fund.
- Four task forces (advocacy, financing, implementation, and research and development) draw upon a wider network of expertise to guide action.
- Regional working groups coordinate and provide technical support to countries.
- And, crucially, national inter-agency coordinating committees (ICCs) provide a forum for joint strategy development and monitoring at the country level
As the partnership evolves, it will continue to seek catalytic and sustainable approaches to funding. In the future, GAVI and The Vaccine Fund may channel resources toward increased support to health infrastructure, other under-used vaccines, or new approaches to reaching every child with essential health care.
Additional Information:
GAVI Progress Report 2002
Current commitments |