Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Bank Group have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen their collaboration on strengthening immunization, primary healthcare, and regional vaccine manufacturing in Africa. The partnership aims to mobilize at least US$2 billion between 2026 and 2030 to support countries in fully funding their immunization and primary healthcare priorities, with a focus on sustainable, long-term financing. The agreement was signed by Gavi CEO Dr. Sania Nishtar and World Bank Group President Ajay Banga during the Universal Health Coverage High-Level Forum.
The initiative will support low- and lower middle-income countries as they transition from external aid to self-sustained health financing. To achieve this, Gavi and the World Bank Group will leverage innovative financing tools such as blended finance, buydowns, and guarantees, while strengthening public financial management. The collaboration also aligns with Gavi’s Leap agenda, aiming to enhance country ownership, self-reliance, and resilient health systems capable of responding effectively to future health threats.
A central component of the partnership is advancing regional vaccine manufacturing in Africa, in line with the African Union’s target of producing 60% of vaccines domestically by 2040 and Gavi’s African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator initiative. Through this effort, both organizations seek to support local capacity-building, job creation, and economic growth, while strengthening health systems across the continent.
The MoU also contributes to the World Bank Group’s goal of reaching 1.5 billion people with quality, affordable health services by 2030. Since the launch of this initiative 18 months ago, the partnership and its collaborators have already extended health services to 375 million more people and are scaling proven primary care approaches to improve health outcomes, bolster the health workforce, and support local supply chains and related industries.
This agreement follows Gavi’s announcement of US$4.5 billion in complementary financing with Multilateral Development Banks and development finance institutions, highlighting the MoU as a critical step toward achieving the shared objectives of sustainable healthcare financing, regional vaccine self-sufficiency, and resilient health systems across Africa.
