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The Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has announced a series of decisions that will help lower-income countries tackle backsliding from the COVID-19 pandemic and be better prepared to respond to future health emergencies. The decisions were taken during a two-day meeting hosted by the Government of Ghana in Accra, Ghana, from 6-7 December 2023.  

Gavi said it approved the establishment of the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), following more than 18 months of close collaboration it has had with the African Union and Africa CDC. AVMA aims to make up to $1 billion available to manufacturers at key moments in the development process.

The Board also approved a $500 million investment in a First Response Fund, combined with its approval to dedicate US$22 million to support pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response activities. It also approved an initial amount of $290 million to provide fully funded doses to help countries “catch-up” children who missed routine vaccinations.

According to Gavi, AVMA is an innovative financing mechanism aimed at establishing a sustainable African vaccine manufacturing industry and will focus on “priority” antigens, product profiles, and vaccine platforms, as well as constructing clear incentives for both “fill and finish” and drug substance production.