Gavi commits to purchasing Ebola vaccine for affected countries
Vaccine Alliance ready to begin procurement as soon as WHO recommends a vaccine for use

Geneva, 11 December 2014 – Plans to purchase millions of doses of an Ebola vaccine to support large-scale vaccination efforts were today agreed by the board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Today’s decision means that Gavi will be ready to act as soon as a safe, effective vaccine is recommended for use by the World Health Organization.
The Gavi Board endorsed plans that could see up to US$ 300 million committed to procure the vaccines, to be used to immunise at risk populations in affected countries. Up to an additional US$ 90 million could be used to support countries to introduce the vaccines and to rebuild devastated health systems and restore immunisation services for all vaccines in Ebola-affected countries.

Join forces
To meet the funding requirements of the approved Ebola initiative, Gavi will use a combination of existing and new sources of funds and join forces with initiatives that have already pledged funding to address the Ebola crisis.
Although there is currently no approved Ebola vaccine, two manufacturers have candidates undergoing human trials, with more manufacturers due to begin human trials with their candidate vaccines shortly. The Gavi Board’s decision to support the preparations for procuring Ebola vaccines while still awaiting a WHO recommendation was taken in light of the seriousness of the situation and the risks associated with delays in making a vaccine available.

Critical importance
“The Ebola outbreak reminds us of the critical importance of vaccines in fighting infectious diseases,” said Gavi CEO Dr Seth Berkley. “The Board’s decision underlines Gavi’s commitment to support the people of the Ebola-affected countries by ensuring that they will have access to a WHO-recommended vaccine as soon as one is approved and available from manufacturers.”

Noting the seriousness of the epidemic and the devastating consequences for people and communities, the Gavi Board approved plans that could see:
:: Up to US$ 300 million spent procuring up to 12 million courses of WHO recommended Ebola vaccines
:: Up to US$ 45 million to help countries roll out the vaccine, including critical activities such as health worker training, social mobilisation, surveillance and, if required, improvements to cold storage facilities
:: Up to US$ 45 million to assist with the recovery of health systems and immunisation services for all vaccines in the countries affected by the outbreak
The Ebola outbreak, and its tragic effect on countries where we have been working for years, has tested Gavi’s ability to respond quickly to an urgent need and I am proud of the decision taken by the Board today.

Stockpiles
In addition to supporting the use of Ebola vaccines to control the current epidemic, Gavi funding could also be used to create stockpiles of first- and second-generation Ebola vaccines which countries can access rapidly in future outbreaks. Gavi already funds similar stockpiles for yellow fever, meningitis A and oral cholera vaccines.

“Gavi has a responsibility to those in need,” said Gavi Board Chair Dagfinn Høybråten. “The Ebola outbreak, and its tragic effect on countries where we have been working for years, has tested Gavi’s ability to respond quickly to an urgent need and I am proud of the decision taken by the Board today. We are making determined efforts to ensure that people living in Ebola-affected countries are protected as soon as possible and do not have to face another terrible outbreak in the future.”
Oversight
To maintain effective oversight of Gavi’s Ebola activities, the Board requested a schedule of regular updates through the Executive Committee and other governance mechanisms.

The Gavi Board’s decision was based on recommendations drawn up following three months of intensive collaboration between the Gavi Secretariat, Ebola-affected countries, the African Development Bank, WHO, UNICEF, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Bank, vaccine manufacturers, civil society organisations including Médecins Sans Frontières, and donors.

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WHO welcomes Gavi support for Ebola candidate vaccines
11 December 2014, Geneva – The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomes the commitment by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to support the procurement of vaccines as soon as WHO recommends one for use.

“This is yet another example of the rapid mobilization from partners and stakeholders to respond to the Ebola outbreak with innovative products. If the vaccines currently being tested live up to their promise of safety and efficacy, this will be the fastest vaccine development and roll-out in history”, said Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO Assistant Director-General of Health Systems and Innovation.

WHO has been spearheading efforts to galvanize the research and development of vaccines that could be used to curb the outbreaks. Accelerated efforts are underway to evaluate a number of Ebola candidate vaccines with preliminary results anticipated in early 2015. Effective strategies for vaccination may be to prioritize those greatest at risk of contracting Ebola; for example, frontline workers and close contacts of people proven to be infected with the virus.

The Gavi announcement follows the high level meeting convened by WHO, the African Development Bank, the West African Health Organization and the World Bank on Building Resilient Health Systems in Ebola-affected countries in Geneva with the aim of laying the foundation for stronger health systems in the medium- to long-term.