Recorded presentation

Marty Makinen, PhD, Abt Associates Inc, Suite 600, 4800 Montgomery Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814, 301-913-0689, marty_makinen@abtassoc.com

This paper identifies and describes best practices in financial sustainability planning from the GAVI FSP process in 2003. Financial sustainability is a major concern for those agencies and initiatives that assist with the adoption of new technologies or programs. The Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI) assists 70 of the poorest countries with the introduction of new vaccines and safe injection practices and increased basic coverage by providing time-limited support. GAVI requires the countries benefiting from its support to submit financial sustainability plans (FSPs) after receiving two years of assistance. The FSPs set the overall macroeconomic and health sector context, estimate immediate past costs and financing, project resource requirements and financing sources, and develop strategies and plans to meet the calculated financing “gaps”.

The author participated in the Review Team (RT) that examined 27 FSPs submitted or re-submitted in November 2003. The RT identified several best practices from among these submissions. Some of the best practices that the presentation will describe are: Guyana’s development and preparatory discussions with partners of strategies to help fill the financing gap; Vietnam’s frank assessment of the effect of low salaries on delivery personnel’s motivation and performance; Uganda’s (1) preparation and analysis of alternative program configurations to help cope with the financing gap and account for epidemiological impacts and (2) involvement of partners in the analysis and decision making going into the FSP; Kenya’s action plan for its strategies; and Tanzania’s and Zanzibar’s detailed and complete plans for advocacy.

Learning Objectives:

• What makes up a financial sustainability plan (FSP) for a health program like immunizations
• What are the best practices that come from a set of 27 countries that have prepared FSPs for the Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI)

Keywords: Immunizations, Financing

Related Web page: www.vaccinefund.org, www.gaviftf.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation