When countries cross the eligibility threshold for GAVI support, the Graduation policy guides their transition to the point that existing support ends
GAVI aims to focus its support on countries with the lowest Gross National Income (GNI). Therefore, countries whose GNI per capita crosses the GAVI eligibility threshold (currently US$ 1,550) enter a graduation process and are no longer eligible to apply for new GAVI funding.
Support for a previously eligible country does not end abruptly as existing multi-year commitments for vaccines and/or cash-based programmes from GAVI will continue to be honoured.
What is the purpose of GAVI's graduation policy?
This policy sets out the process and procedures for "graduation"; i.e. the transition from the time a country is no longer eligible to apply for new GAVI support to the point that existing GAVI support ends.
When is the policy applied and how does it work?
The policy is applied to countries whose per capita income exceeds the GAVI eligibility threshold. Key issues set out by the policy include:
- GAVI will inform the country that it has entered the graduation process and spell out in detail what this entails.
- Subject to availability of funding, GAVI will honour all existing Board-approved multi-year commitments to countries in the graduation process for the duration of current multi-year plans and at a minimum up to 2015 for New Vaccine Support.
- Countries that enter the graduation process will not be able to submit new applications or resubmit previously rejected applications for any of GAVI's funding windows.
- If subsequent to graduation a country's GNI per capita falls below the eligibility threshold, the country would regain its GAVI-eligible status.
When was the current policy approved and when will it be updated?
The graduation policy was approved by the GAVI Board in November 2009 and came into effect at the start of 2011.
