An Agenda for Change – Gavi & Vaccine Sovereignty in Africa, Lusaka, Civil Society in IDA21

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Aidspan

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This issue covers the Global Forum on Vaccine Sovereignty and Innovation, which saw the launch of Gavi’s 2026-2030 Investment Opportunity and the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA). The consultations on advancing the Lusaka Agenda and how civil society can make a pitch in the light of the World Bank replenishment is also included in this issue. With civil society in the focus there are also reports on the low funding for civil society organizations working in the Global South by the #ShiftThePower movement and its recommendations as well as by Transparency International report for IDA21. With the Global Fund’s Strategy Committee and Audit and Finance Committee meetings due to take place in a few days from now, we discuss what’s on the agenda for them. A meeting on advancing the fight against tuberculosis in francophone Africa is the first among a series on it that our French counterpart Observateur du Fonds Mondial (OFM) is bringing out and which we share with you.

The Global Forum for Vaccine Sovereignty and Innovation in Paris had a twin launch of the replenishment of Gavi as well as the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA). Amidst linguistic jousting over who would speak in francais and anglais; statistic counters on the state of global health; chest thumping about $ and £ contributions to Gavi; back-of-the-funding envelope calculations of funding raised and expected; dragging in of unnecessary references to a Juventus player for non-humour (don’t ask!); what emerged in what was described as a “spectacular room” by the emcee is what we bring to you.

 

There are reports on civil society, on the CiSPHA Regional Webinar on “Opportunity for Health Systems Strengthening? Update on IDA21 Replenishment” and summaries of the recommendations arising from “Too Southern to be Funded” on the lack of Overseas Development Assistance for civil society  organizations and “Transparency International on IDA21”, both of which point to the critical need for funding civil society organizations by global health initiatives (GHIs). The importance of GHIs engaging with civil society more and for greater participation by communities was also what came out loud and clear at a consultation on the modalities of taking the Lusaka Agenda forward in Africa.

 

Then we give a sneak peek into the Agenda of the Global Fund’s July meetings beginning with the Strategy Committee on July 10, 2024. It is set to dwell among other concerns, on Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health, which is an aspect that the Global Fund is still struggling to get right. The Board is yet to take any decisive action regarding how it is to be tackled. It is hoped that the deliberations at this Strategy Committee meeting enable more clarity on this issue to make it more effective. In future issues, we hope to bring more on what went down at this meeting as well as that of the Global Fund’s Audit and Finance Committee, which on the following day is to discuss matters related to the Office of the Inspector-General and financial oversight as well as the key issue of resource mobilization.

 

And we end with a write-up by Christian Djoko and translated Amida Kariburyo from our French counterpart, Observateur du Fonds Mondial (OFM) on a major regional meeting on advancing the fight against TB entitled “Advancing community, rights and gender for an equitable response to tuberculosis in Francophone Africa”, which took place in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, from June 11-13, 2024.

 

And any thoughts about which aspect in the global health initiative sector you’d like to see covered in our newsletter are always welcome and we’d really appreciate suggestions on who can pen an article on it! Anyone who wishes to voluntarily contribute as a guest columnist and provide an incisive analysis or first-person account of what is happening at micro or macro levels in the field of global health interventions is also welcome. Any feedback and suggestions in French, Spanish, English can be sent to Ida Hakizinka ida.hakizinka@aidspan.org and/or in English to madhuri@aidspan.org

 

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