| |
GAVI Board Teleconference
8 January 2002
Summary Report
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
- The Board approved
the recommendation from the Working Group that a lump-sum of US$
100,000 should be given to all countries approved for the introduction
of new vaccines.
- The Board requests
The Vaccine Fund Board to approve the recommendation concerning
this new policy. As 28 countries will benefit retroactively from
this support, and an additional 35 countries may benefit from
this support in the future, the total financial implications would
be no more than US$ 6.3 million.
- The Board will welcome a presentation on
potential policies for providing more support to countries’
immunization services, most likely at the next GAVI Board Meeting
in June 2002.
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.
|
