PAHO member country representatives “discussed options for maintaining support from the GAVI Alliance for acquisition of new vaccines, strengthening health systems and other vaccine-related interventions in six countries that have been benefiting from this support.” The discussions occurred during the 28th Pan American Sanitary Conference, held at PAHO headquarters, in Washington D.C.  PAHO said that four countries in the Americas—Bolivia, Cuba, Guyana and Honduras— began a “graduation process” in 2011 when their gross national income surpassed US$1,500 per capita, the threshold for GAVI eligibility. GAVI support for their national immunization programs is scheduled to be phased out over the next four years. From 2000 to -2012, the GAVI Alliance provided US$62 million in support for vaccination programs for these four countries and for Nicaragua and Haiti, which continue to be eligible for GAVI support. Country representatives noted that “despite their new status as ‘graduating countries,’ they continue to face important challenges in maintaining the strong performance of their national immunization programs. They called on GAVI to explore different options for continued support. Some countries face a simultaneous phase-out of the resources from the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, making the transition particularly challenging in the current economic climate.”

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