Transitioning from Gavi Support

Options for U.S. Engagement in Central America

Since 2000, the United States government has been a strong partner of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, providing more than US$730 million through the end of December, 2015, to support the introduction of new and underutilized vaccines in the world’s poorest countries. Lower income countries receiving Gavi assistance have long been required to co-finance a portion of each vaccine dose procured with Gavi funds, with the expectation that as the countries reach lower middle-income country status (LMIC), they will eventually transition away from Gavi support. To date, at least 24 of the original 73 Gavi-eligible countries have started to transition, with 16 expected to complete the process by the end of 2018. The long history of U.S. support for global maternal and child health programs, its emphasis on assisting countries in strengthening their immunization programs, and considerable U.S. investments in Gavi over the past fifteen years all underscore why the U.S. has an interest in ensuring LMIC transitions from Gavi support proceed smoothly and sustainably.

Yet in many LMICs, the United States is scaling back its bilateral engagement on health. Examining the factors shaping the way countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are experiencing the Gavi transition process provides a helpful lens through which to examine options for U.S. government engagement to support the sustainability of immunization programs in LMICs, especially where U.S. engagement on health is limited.


TO DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT, CLICK HERE.

PrintFriendlyTwitterFacebook

About the Authors

Katherine E. Bliss
Katherine E. Bliss
Katherine E. Bliss is senior associate with the CSIS Global Health Policy Center, where she has led research on the influence of the BRICS on the global health agenda; analyzed U.S. support for maternal and child health programs in lower- and middle-income countries; and testified before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs…
Read full bio here.
Katey Peck
Katey Peck
Katey Peck is a program manager and research associate at the CSIS Global Health Policy Center, where she focuses on family planning and reproductive health as well as maternal, newborn, and child survival. Previously, Ms. Peck worked as a research analyst and writer at the Center for High Impact Philanthropy…
Read full bio here.