IFFIm delivers on its goal to frontload

As of 30 September 2009, IFFIm had approved programmes of $2 billion (since inception). Of that amount, more than $1.2 billion has already been disbursed to support vaccine purchase and delivery to 70 developing countries.

IFFIm funding has allowed GAVI to double its spending since 2006. The disbursements are broken out between “core” GAVI programmes such as new and underused vaccines including pentavalent, immunisation support, injection safety and health systems strengthening. Funds have also been used to support tactical investments including yellow fever stockpile and continuation, polio stockpile, measles mortality reduction, maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination and Meningitis eradication.

 

Selected results flowing from IFFIm funding

• Poor countries helped with their immunisation programmes
  In total in 2009, US$ 214.7 million went to support GAVI’s efforts to radically scale up access to vaccination in the poorest countries. From 2006 through 2009 US$ 634 million of IFFIm funds went to support country applications for new vaccines.
  
  In addition, IFFIm funds are helping countries to address as quickly as possible broad health system “bottlenecks” that currently limit their ability to get vaccines to children.
  
  Through 2009, US$ 198.3 million went to GAVI’s health system strengthening programme to support immunisation delivery and coverage. This represents a substantial portion – nearly 39% – of GAVI’s initial funding estimate of US$ 500 million for the HSS programme from 2006 to 2015.
• Pentavalent vaccine (5 shots in one)
  IFFIm funding has been used to procure the 5-in-1 vaccine to immunise children against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (the traditional DTP vaccine), hepatitis B and Hib.
  
  Thanks to IFFIm, GAVI has been able to make a long-term purchase commitment of pentavalent vaccines, of which by 2009 US$ 177.4 million had been drawn down.
  
  The availability of IFFIm funding until 2015 is supporting security of future supplies. This is an incentive to new manufacturers to enter the market in the coming years, a move which is expected to further reduce vaccine prices.
• Tactical investments made in immunisation
  IFFIm funding has benefitted the four major GAVI Alliance investments:
  • Measles Initiative
  • Yellow Fever Initiative
  • Global Poliomyelitis Eradication Campaign
  • Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination Campaign.
  
  Measles: Measles kills some 245,000 people globally, and of those, most are children under the age of five. The Measles Initiative is a partnership between global health and development agencies to address this major childhood disease. Acting on evidence that early robust action is most effective, US$ 139 million of IFFIm support has gone to the Measles Initiative to strengthen measles campaigns.
  
  IFFIm’s contribution to GAVI’s funding represented 28% of the total amount of all external funding available to high-burden countries for measles in 2000-08. This allowed rapid scale-up, providing preventing 1.2 million measles deaths through vaccination.
  
  Measles vaccination campaigns are also contributing to the reduction of child deaths from other causes. They have become a channel for the delivery of other life-saving interventions, such as bed nets to protect against malaria, de-worming medicine, and vitamin A supplements.
  
  Poliomyelitis: IFFIm funds have helped the global campaign to eradicate polio. In 2008, IFFIm helped to immunise 148 million children under the age of five against polio. GAVI's investment in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative helped prevent an estimated 600,000 cases of paralytic polio in 2007 and 2008 and helped avert more than 30,000 deaths from polio during this period.
  
  There has been sustained headway globally in curbing transmission of type 1 poliovirus – the most dangerous remaining serotype.
  
  Maternal and neonatal tetanus: Maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) kills the poorest of the poor in the developing world. However, global MNT elimination is possible through vaccination.
  
  As of 31 December 2009, IFFIm provided US$ 61.5 million for maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination from a total of US$ 62 million approved in 2007. IFFIm funds represented 90% of the resources allocated in 2007 for the campaign’s activities up to 2009. These resources constitute a 60% boost over those raised for the initiative from other sources between 1999 and 2006.