Senior members of the Gavi Secretariat visited the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) on 14 and 15 February to discuss with the Leadership of WHO AFRO on further enhancing WHO and Gavi’s joint efforts to effectively support countries within the African region towards strengthening their immunization and health systems.  

Both organizations presented their priorities and plans, including their respective reform agenda. Challenges in implementation of joint support to countries were also raised and solutions proposed. Among these was the low implementation rate of the Gavi Targeted Country Assistance (TCA) activity funding. To support countries improve their implementation rate, WHO AFRO is rolling out a WHO polio/immunization accountability framework, conducting induction for newly-recruited Gavi-TCA funded WHO immunization staff at countries, and institutionalizing quarterly progress reviews at regional and country levels. It was believed that the WHO AFRO reform and transformation agenda will also contribute to improved performance of the TCA activities.  

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa noted the continued collaboration between Gavi and WHO and reaffirmed that WHO AFRO leadership is working with WHO Representatives in Gavi-supported countries to ensure that Partner Engagement Framework (PEF) and TCA is executed with full accountability. She also stressed the need to support countries graduating from Gavi assistance in order to use the transition period to identify more domestic resources for immunization.

Oversight and support mechanisms and ways of optimizing coordination between Gavi and the Regional Office were also discussed during the visit.