Innovative partnership
Launched in 2000, the GAVI Alliance is a global health partnership representing stakeholders in immunisation from both private and public sectors: developing world and donor governments, private sector philanthropists such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the financial community, developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers, research and technical institutes, civil society organisations and multilateral organisations like the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank.
Working together, Alliance members achieve objectives, that no single agency or group could achieve:
- accelerate access to existing underused vaccines;
- strengthen health and immunisation systems in countries;
- introduce innovative new immunisation technology, including vaccines.
This prevents millions of deaths worldwide and contributes to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal for child health -- a two-thirds reduction in the number of deaths in the under-fives by 2015.
In action, the Alliance draws on the very specific strengths of its individual partners:
- It is an outreach worker from a faith-based organisation biking cold boxes full of chilled vaccines to a remote village in Africa.
- An international banker holding a video conference on new ways to use capital markets to finance immunisation.
- A research scientist in a Brazilian vaccine development company working on a formulation that meets the needs of developing countries.
- A UNICEF social mobilisation expert working with a community nurse to teach mothers about the importance of vaccination at birth.
- It is top health and development experts gathered in Geneva to evaluate country funding proposals.
Direction
GAVI's efforts are directed through the financing mechanisms of the GAVI Fund and the work of the Geneva-based GAVI Secretariat which channel funding, optimise product availability and market pricing, and coordinate the field support necessary to plan and implement programmes in the world’s poorest countries.
Developed country donors, recipient governments, research and technical institutes, civil society organisations, and vaccine industries partner with international organisations, private sector philanthropists and international financiers to find ways to fund and support immunisation in the world’s poorest countries.
An added ingredient has been a strengthening of engagement with civil society organisations. With their reach, experience and knowledge of delivering health and immunisation services on the ground, they bring important resources and perspective to the Alliance and its work. Civil society organisations can also play a very productive role as watchdogs, helping to ensure that government and international actors are accountable to the people and communities they serve.
Public-private effect
Building on public sector expertise in health and development, with the acumen of private individuals and organisations, the power of the public-private partnership continues to deliver. GAVI has developed innovative mechanisms and approaches to international health and development such as IFFIm, ADIPs and the pilot AMC. Some of these initiatives have, in turn, sparked the formation of other task-oriented partnerships.Unique contributions
Partners contribute to the Alliance through participation in strategy and policy-setting, advocacy, fund-raising, vaccine development and procurement, country support and immunisation delivery.
Independent board members also contribute their viewpoints, challenging expectations and the status quo. This dialogue sparks debate and innovation. New balances emerge from testing the boundaries.
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