Policy Updates

On June 28, 2024, based on a new report from the IPC, USAID Administrator Samantha Power raised concerns about growing acute food security reported in April and May 2024 in Sudan, along with dire projections for June 2024 through February 2025.

Power noted that the food insecurity crisis is historically severe, with more than half of Sudan's population facing severe levels of hunger, which are the highest levels ever measured.

Power pointed to the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces and the inability to get humanitarian assistance to the region. Although the US and other partners are continuing to support the people of Sudan with provisions of food, malnutrition treatment, health care, and other assistance, especially to vulnerable populations, more is needed to assist the cross border assistance relief effort.

Power also called upon the warring factions to negotiate an immediate ceasefire.

On June 21, 2024, Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy announced a AUD5 million (US$3 million) commitment to assist veterinary capacity to identify and respond to animal disease outbreaks in regional countries.

The program would be delivered through a consortium headed by the University of Sydney.

Another program, totaling AUD11 million (US$7 million), is slated to be conducted in partnership with the Menzies School of Health Research, to improve health surveillance by countries in Southeast Asia, including monitoring AMR.

A further AUD16 million (US$11 million) was allocated to assist the development of better drugs for neglected tropical diseases. It will be be delivered through the Melbourne-based Medicines Development for Global Health, a not-for-profit bio-pharmaceutical company.

On June 21, 2024, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic announced a program of partnerships with CSIRO, totaling AUD24 million (US$16 million).

These would fund capacity building in identifying and responding to disease outbreaks in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. Countries involved included Fiji, Laos, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness is slated to receive AUD16 million (US$11 million) to strengthen animal health laboratories in Southeast Asia as well as Pacific Island field diagnostic networks.

The initiative also includes assistance to improve capabilities in Southeast Asia to develop and manufacture biopharmaceuticals and vaccines.

On June 20, 2024, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron attended the Gavi Investment Opportunity and AVMA launch in Paris, France, and pledged to reallocate GBP49 million (US$58 million) to Gavi’s newly launched AVMA through reallocated COVID-19 funding already committed to Gavi.

Co-hosted by Gavi, the African Union, and France, the event saw Gavi lay out its investment case for 2026 and 2030 and call for US$9 billion in new donor funding.

The UK did not make an early pledge to Gavi’s new replenishment, unlike the US, France, Spain, and some philanthropic providers, which committed a total of US$2.4 billion. Gavi is set to engage in an intense period of fundraising with a view to hosting a final pledging event in 7 to 12 months.

Since the creation of Gavi, the UK has invested GBP5.5 billion (US$7 billion) in the organization, helping to vaccinate over a billion children and save millions of lives.

The UK did not provide an early pledge to Gavi's 2026-2030 replenishment.

On June 20, 2024, during the Gavi Investment Opportunity and AVMA launch in Paris, Norway announced a contribution of NOK274 million (US$26 million) to increase vaccine production in African countries.

Norwegian Minister of International Development Anne Beathe Tvinnereim emphasized that local and regional vaccine production enhances preparedness and strengthens health systems in LICs, ensuring the right to basic healthcare services.

Tvinnereim described Norway's contribution as an investment that could benefit Norway and other donors by enhancing global pandemic preparedness. She noted more countries capable of producing safe vaccines could accelerate response to future pandemics.

From June 17 to 20, 2024, Canada hosted the 54^th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the CDB and announced more than CAD11 million (US$8 million) in funding for economic development in the Caribbean.

The funding included:

• CAD5 million (US$4 million) to the Inter-American Development Bank for the Compete Caribbean+ project to enhance private sector productivity and foster regional economic growth;
• CAD4 million (US$3 million) to the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica for the Jamaica Urban Solutions for the Environment project to increase climate resilience through gender-responsive and nature-based solutions for urban areas vulnerable to climate hazards; and
• CAD2 million (US$1 million) in top-ups to UNFPA for the program EQUAL SRHR to improve the protection of women and girls in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, including those who are Venezuelan migrants, by advancing SRHR and protection from GBV.

On June 20, 2024, the EIB approved EUR12.8 billion (US$13.7 billion) in financing to improve sustainable transport, increase the use of renewable energy, build new student housing, improve earthquake and flood protection, and help business expansion.

EUR2.9 billion (US$3.1 billion) will be allocated for urban development, education, health, and water projects. EUR2.1 billion (US$2.2 billion) is slated to support corporate innovation, with a focus on female entrepreneurs in Africa and the Caribbean, as well as business financing in Ukraine.

EIB President Nadia Calviño highlighted that support will go to global and regional flagship projects and that the investments will improve quality of life and reflect the EIB's commitment to strengthen European resilience, productivity growth, and innovation.

On June 20, 2024, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced CAD85 million (US$62 million) in funding to AVMA, a new initiative to enhance health security and equitable access to vaccines across Africa.

Despite having approximately 20% of the world’s population, Africa accounts for less than 0.1% of the world’s vaccine production.

Led by Gavi, AVMA aims to provide financial incentives to help vaccine manufacturers in Africa build and increase sustainable production capacity to improve the region’s resilience to pre-existing, new, and emerging pandemics and other health emergencies. By 2035, AVMA aims to incentivize the production of over 800 million vaccine doses.

On June 20, 2024, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani attended a conference, titled Protecting Our Future—The Global Forum for Vaccine Sovereignty and Innovation, and announced a contribution of US$150 million to AVMA.

The conference was organized by France in partnership with Gavi and the Africa Center for Disease Control.

AVMA aims to enable the purchase of over 800 million doses of locally produced vaccines, with the ambitious goal of producing at least 60% of the vaccine doses required on the continent by 2040.

In his speech, Tajani reaffirmed appreciation and strong Italian support for Gavi. He invited Gavi chair José Emanuel Barroso to the G7 Ministers of Development Summit in on October 24 and 25, 2024, in Pescara, Italy.

On June 20, 2024, multiple global health actors, including Germany, announced new measures to support the build-up of vaccine manufacturing capabilities on the African continent at a conference, titled Protecting Our Future - The Global Forum for Vaccine Sovereignty and Innovation.

The conference was organized by France and hosted in Paris in partnership with Gavi and the Africa Center for Disease Control.

A key announcement was AVMA, which is slated to provide around US$1 billion across 10 years to limit the risk for private firms and bolster competitive vaccine production in African countries. The mechanism aims for the production of more than 800 million vaccine doses on the African continent within the next 10 years.

Germany and partners in Team Europe will provide around 70% of the funding for AVMA. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Development Minister Svenja Schulze both delivered messages of support. Strengthening regional vaccine manufacturing capabilities is a longstanding objective of German development policy.