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DFC financing up to US$ 1 billion for Gavi COVID-19 vaccine and ancillary supply purchase and delivery

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  • Announced at the White House COVID-19 Summit, the new COVAX Rapid Financing Facility will provide access to funding that the COVAX AMC needs to respond to unforeseen risks.

  • This innovative financing facility will allow Gavi to monetize COVAX AMC pledges soon after sovereign and private sector donors make them for more immediate and impactful response times.

  • DFC’s investment is its largest-ever healthcare project and contributes to the Corporation’s Global Health and Prosperity Initiative, which supports the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthening health resilience in developing countries.

Washington / Geneva, 12 May 2022 – The White House today announced that US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance have partnered to create the COVAX Rapid Financing Facility, which will provide up to US$ 1 billion to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine and ancillary supply purchase and delivery on behalf of developing countries participating in the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (COVAX AMC).

The aim of this new innovative financing instrument is to allow Gavi to monetize sovereign and private sector pledges to the COVAX AMC and consequently maximize impact by minimizing waiting time for the funding. This tool will give the COVAX AMC additional liquidity to support the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, including variant-adapted doses, in response to risks and shocks, and it will enable COVAX to act quickly to secure access to extra doses.

“DFC’s US$ 1 billion investment will accelerate COVID-19 vaccine availability for less-developed countries around the world,” said DFC CEO Scott Nathan. “DFC’s strong partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s effort to ensure more countries can acquire safe, reliable vaccines to advance the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“We are grateful to DFC and the US Government for this important new financing tool, which will speed the availability of funding COVAX needs to close the still-stubborn COVID vaccine equity gap,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which manages the COVAX Facility. “With this new tool, COVAX can better respond to the next twist and turn of the pandemic and manage risks that countries can’t face alone.”

The COVAX Rapid Financing Facility is particularly useful to donors who, due to budgetary or other considerations, wish to make payment to Gavi over the next four years.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries lacking capital to purchase vaccines for underserved populations. Studies show that unless vaccines and ancillary supplies are more equitably manufactured and available throughout the developing world, health security will remain diminished, and health and economic recovery worldwide will be delayed. Pending the finalization of an agreement between DFC and Gavi, the US$ 1 billion facility will strengthen COVAX’s capacity to provide many countries access to safe, reliable COVID-19 vaccines to help improve health conditions and boost economic recovery in the wake of the pandemic.

DFC’s investment is its largest-ever healthcare project and contributes to the Corporation’s Global Health and Prosperity Initiative, which supports the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthening health resilience in developing countries. Through the initiative, DFC is working to catalyze US$ 5 billion in projects that bolster health systems, support infrastructure development, and expand access to clean water, sanitation, and nutrition.

Notes to editors

About DFC

U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) partners with the private sector to finance solutions to the most critical challenges facing the developing world today. We invest across sectors including energy, healthcare, critical infrastructure, and technology. DFC also provides financing for small businesses and women entrepreneurs in order to create jobs in emerging markets. DFC investments adhere to high standards and respect the environment, human rights, and worker rights.

To learn more, please visit www.dfc.gov

About COVAX

COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, is co-led by CEPI, Gavi, WHO and UNICEF – working in partnership with developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers, PAHO, the World Bank, and others. It is the only global initiative that is working with governments and manufacturers to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide to both high-income and lower-income countries.

Gavi’s role in COVAX

Gavi leads on procurement and delivery at scale for COVAX: designing and managing the COVAX Facility and the Gavi COVAX AMC and working with its traditional Alliance partners UNICEF and WHO, along with governments, on country readiness and delivery.

As part of this role, Gavi hosts the Office of the COVAX Facility to coordinate the operation and governance of the mechanism as a whole, holds financial and legal relationships with 193 Facility participants, and manages the COVAX Facility deals portfolio: negotiating advance purchase agreements with manufacturers of promising vaccine candidates to secure doses on behalf of all COVAX Facility participants. Gavi also coordinates design, operationalisation and fundraising for the Gavi COVAX AMC, the mechanism that provides access to donor-funded doses of vaccine to 92 lower-income economies. As part of this work, Gavi provides funding and oversight for UNICEF procurement and delivery of vaccines to all AMC participants – operationalising the advance purchase agreements between Gavi and manufacturers – as well as support for partners’ and governments work on readiness and delivery. This includes tailored support to governments, UNICEF, WHO and other partners for cold chain equipment, technical assistance, syringes, vehicles, and other aspects of the vastly complex logistical operation for delivery. Gavi also co-designed, raises funds for and supports the operationalisation of the AMC’s no-fault compensation mechanism as well as the COVAX Humanitarian Buffer.

About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunise a whole generation – over 888 million children – and prevented more than 15 million future deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 73 lower-income countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines. After two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation, above all the zero-dose children who have not received even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs innovative finance and the latest technology – from drones to biometrics – to save millions more lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Gavi is a co-convener of COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, together with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. In its role, Gavi is focused on procurement and delivery for COVAX: coordinating the design, implementation and administration of the COVAX Facility and the Gavi COVAX AMC and working with its Alliance partners UNICEF and WHO, along with governments, on country readiness and delivery.

The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. View the full list of donor governments and other leading organisations that fund Gavi’s work here.

MEDIA CONTACTS

DFC
press@dfc.gov

Jeff Weintraub, Gavi
+1 202 403 7695
JWeintraub@gavi.org
media@gavi.org