The GAVI Alliance announced that “to further increase transparency of the oversight of its cash-based support it will make public when it suspends a cash programme to investigate possible misuse of funds.” GAVI also announced that it has suspended funding to three cash-based programmes in Niger, Cote d’Ivoire, and Cameroon “after its oversight processes raised credible concerns about the use of funds in these programmes,” and that it had earlier informed its Board about an investigation of two cash programmes in Mali last year, which is expected to be completed in May 2011. Investigations have recently commenced in Niger and Cameroon, and will follow in Cote d’Ivoire once the political situation in the country improves. The amount under investigation in the suspended programmes totals approximately $18 million. The investigations “will determine how much, if any, of this has been misused.” The governments of Mali, Niger and Cameroon are fully cooperating with the investigations. GAVI noted that “although some cash programmes have been halted, GAVI is ensuring that children in these countries continue to receive life-saving vaccines.”

Helen Evans, GAVI interim CEO, said, “Our mission is to make sure life-saving vaccines reach even the poorest children and cash-support programmes help make that happen. But we do not tolerate any abuse of funds that puts children at risk.”    Between 2000 and 2010, GAVI said it delivered US$2.1 billion worth of vaccines and paid US$672 million in cash grants. During this period, cash programmes equaled about 24% of total disbursements but have dropped to approximately 15% over the past two years. In 2009 and 2010, 45 countries received cash grants. Of these, 39 are subject to GAVI’s financial management assessments. To date, 32 FMAs have been conducted, starting with those that are deemed to be of higher risk.

http://www.gavialliance.org/media_centre/statements/transparency.php