What is the purpose of Gavi's prioritisation mechanism?
The purpose of the prioritisation mechanism is to inform Gavi's funding decisions when resources are restricted during the course of a strategic period. When reviewing country applications for support, Gavi will prioritise to the extent possible those that have the least negative impacts on Gavi’s mission indicators, strategic goals and objectives.
The prioritisation mechanism applies to: country applications for new vaccine support (NVS), alongside their directly associated cash support; and innovation top-up grants recommended for funding by the Independent Review Committee (IRC) or equivalent bodies. Applications for vaccine support for outbreak response, Switch Grants (SGs) and cost-neutral applications – as well as applications for cash funding levers with defined country envelopes – are not subject to the prioritisation mechanism.
When is the prioritisation mechanism applied and how does it work?
The prioritisation mechanism is applied when Gavi resources are insufficient to meet country demand in a particular application round. All country applications for new support in scope of the prioritisation mechanism will be weighted and ranked according to the criteria below.
Ranking criteria for NVS proposals
| Objective | Indicator | Weight |
|---|
| Ranking objectives |
| Minimise loss of health impact | Future deaths averted per fully vaccinated person | 30% |
| Maximise value for money | Calculated as weighted average price per vaccine course divided by future deaths averted per fully vaccinated person | 30% |
| Maintain equitable access to vaccines | Percentage of Gavi-supported vaccines that a country has introduced relative to the total number of such vaccines the country is eligible to receive | 10% |
| Safeguard financial sustainability of programmes | 1. Co-financing performance for Gavi supported vaccines in the last five years measured by country’s ability to meet co-financing obligations of previous year by 31 December, or the fiscal year as agreed with the country - Countries with pre-agreed co-financing waivers are not penalised
| 30% |
| 2. Gross national income per capita |
| Non-ranking objectives |
| Minimise risk of disruptive future outbreaks and impact on global health security | Used to identify significant risks in cases where potential for outbreaks is considered ‘high’ | Not applicable (N/A) |
| Minimise risks to market health | Used to identify significant risks in cases where impact on market shaping is considered ‘high’ | N/A |
The unfunded IRC-recommended proposals will automatically be considered in the next application round.
More information on the prioritisation mechanism can be found in the December 2024 Gavi Board paper on Prioritisation mechanism.
When was the prioritisation mechanism approved and when will it be updated?
The prioritisation mechanism was launched in June 2010 for a two-year trial period. While the prioritisation mechanism was used to prioritise funding for the IRC-recommended proposals from the October 2009 round, the absence of funding constraints in subsequent years made application of the mechanism unnecessary. Based on additional analysis, the prioritisation mechanism was finalised with small revisions and came into effect with Gavi Board approval in June 2013.
The policy was revised toward the end of the Gavi 5.0/5.1 strategic period (2021–2025) and approved by the Gavi Board in December 2024. The revisions aim to render the policy fit for purpose in the event of a mismatch between demand and availability of funds at the end of a given strategic period. An update of the policy is planned for later in 2025 to adapt it to the Gavi 6.0 (2026–2030) funding architecture; and any future updates will be assessed after its use in a funding shortfall or at the Gavi Board’s request.
