IMFIN brief 10: Development assistance for immunization

How can development assistance for immunization be put to best use, bearing in mind the need for alignment with government priorities, efficiency, predictability, and sustainability?

Key points

• Development assistance can play an important role in immunization financing. It should ideally be predictable, well-coordinated with government efforts, aligned with government priorities, and accompanied by a plan for sustaining activities once the assistance ends.
• Development assistance for health that is used to strengthen health systems can generate important benefits for immunization because routine immunization services depend on strong health systems for delivery.
• The poorest countries with slow economic growth are likely to need development assistance for health and immunization for many years. Countries with fragile economies or those in conflict also have extra needs.
• Most development assistance for immunization comes in the form of grants, but loans and credits can play a role too.