Kenya will soon begin receiving vaccine funding directly from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, marking the end of a 25-year system in which the global health body channelled money through separate grants tied to individual vaccines.
Under the revised framework, countries will be given a single consolidated budget to procure vaccines of their choosing. This approach gives the Ministry of Health greater influence over procurement decisions, expanding its role beyond overseeing the final distribution of vaccines.
The change represents a shift from the previous setup where purchasing was handled by UNICEF on Kenya’s behalf. In that system, Gavi financed vaccine procurement through UNICEF’s supply division, which bought vaccines for eligible countries and arranged their shipment. After delivery, the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) managed storage and distribution to counties and health facilities.
Previously, countries had to submit separate applications for each vaccine they sought support for, with every request subject to its own approval timelines and administrative procedures.
Sania Nishtar, the chief executive of Gavi, said the revised funding model is intended to simplify access to financing while promoting a more balanced allocation of resources. She noted that the reform, part of the broader Gavi Leap initiative, followed a year-long process aimed at overhauling how funds are channelled to participating countries.
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According to Ms Nishtar, providing governments with advance information on their vaccine budgets for the next five years will allow them to plan immunisation programmes more strategically.
She added that the allocations will be determined using indicators of public health need, including the number of deaths among children under five, alongside a country’s income level and its capacity to finance its own health services.
