The Gavi Board also responded to the growing number of disease outbreaks in Gavi-supported countries, such as the recent yellow fever epidemic in central Africa, by approving a new approach to Vaccine Alliance support for emergency stockpiles of meningitis, cholera and yellow fever vaccines. For diseases with limited vaccine supply, such stockpiles facilitate rapid access to vaccines during outbreaks.
Under the new approach, Gavi will make long-term funding commitments that allow our partners to plan for the future and also increase the security of supply. All Gavi-supported countries, regardless of their transition phase, will be able to access full vaccine and operational cost support. Other countries will be able to draw on emergency vaccine stockpiles but will be expected to reimburse the costs when the emergency is over.
“Emergency stockpiles can play an essential role both as part of a comprehensive disease control strategy and in maintaining global health security, but they are not a silver bullet,” said Dr Berkley. “They should be integrated into a wider strategy that builds better public health systems and improves childhood immunisation through stronger routine immunisation and pre-emptive vaccination campaigns.”
Gavi will also strengthen its engagement in support of yellow fever activities with additional funding of up to US$ 150 million for the period 2016-2020. Since 2000, Gavi has invested more than US$ 300 million in routine immunisation with yellow fever vaccines in high-risk countries, mass preventive campaigns and emergency stockpiling.
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