New $1 billion partnership targets vaccine access and health systems

From the newsletter

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, have announced a $1 billion partnership to improve sustainable health and immunisation financing. This initiative focuses on investments in vaccine procurement and immunisation infrastructure in middle-income countries and those transitioning away from Gavi support.

• At least 13 African countries qualify for Gavi support and are also members of the AIIB. This dual eligibility enables them to benefit from the joint $1 billion financing initiative, which will allocate grants based on specific country needs.

• Private sector firms in health technology, construction and logistics can seize emerging opportunities as new funding flows into cold chain systems, digital health tools and healthcare infrastructure across these 13 countries.

More details

• Some of the countries that are eligible for Gavi support and are also members of the AIIB and will be prioritised in this deal include Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. Others include Benin, Cameroon, Comoros, Guinea, Lesotho, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, all of which are in the preparatory transition phase of Gavi eligibility. 

• The agreement, signed in Geneva on 13 May 2025, outlines a collaboration to support AIIB member countries eligible for Gavi assistance. It marks the first formal partnership between the AIIB and Gavi. AIIB will provide up to $1 billion in financing, while Gavi will contribute grant-based concessional resources. This blended financing model will depend on country demand. The aim is to improve access to life-saving vaccines and help countries build sustainable health systems.

• In addition to direct financing, AIIB and Gavi plan to explore other tools, including donor liquidity solutions and blended finance instruments. They will also invest in knowledge-sharing platforms to strengthen links between climate finance, immunisation, and broader health investments. The fund will focus on countries preparing to exit donor support. Targeted financial and technical support will be offered to help these nations maintain vaccination coverage and avoid backsliding in public health outcomes.

• Building on Gavi's recent collaboration with Deutsche Post DHL Group, which established a Transport Support Hub in Kenya to enhance vaccine distribution, logistics firms can engage in areas such as cold chain transport, last-mile delivery, and supply chain management. There are challenges in distributing vaccines in hard to reach areas across Africa and these partnerships could improve vaccine availability and potency across the continent.

• Digital health infrastructure needs in this deal creates space for health tech firms to deliver tools like electronic health records, vaccine tracking systems, and telemedicine platforms. These solutions can support real-time data use and patient management, especially in remote or transitioning regions. Gavi has previously backed digital innovations in immunisation programs across Africa.

• In Africa, maintaining the potency of life-saving vaccines is a huge challenge, especially in rural communities and those affected by conflict. Roughly 15% of medical facilities in sub-Saharan Africa lack a power connection, and only about 40% of those connected receive a reliable supply. This means there is a need for renewable energy investment and supply, solar powered vaccine refrigerators, coolers, freezers and vaccine monitors.

Our take

• Climate change alters the environmental conditions underlying transmission of infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue, cholera and yellow fever, enabling them to spread to areas beyond their traditional geographical scope.

• The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change identifies vaccines as an effective tool for climate adaptation. Multiple vaccines against climate-sensitive diseases already exist, the challenge is making them accessible across the continent.

• There is a need to prioritise investments and domestic funding on immunisation services, alongside other proven health measures, to protect people from the increasing risk of climate-sensitive infectious diseases.