In the past, it would take at least 15-20 years for new vaccines to become available in poor countries. Advance Market Commitments (AMCs) for vaccine purchase aim to incentivise vaccine manufacturers to provide new vaccines at an affordable price to poor countries.
The first AMC aimed to support the development and availability of pneumococcal vaccines, expected to save the lives of more than 5 million children by 2030. (Pneumococcal disease is the single largest cause of death amongst children younger than five years in poor countries.)
Baird’s CMC was asked to develop an advocacy programme amongst major European donors and civil society to help identify additional donor support to take the pilot AMC from the US$ 1.1 billion committed by the UK and Italy to the US$ 1.5 billion target figure. We were also involved in managing issues around civil society opposition to AMCs and building support for donor contributions to successor AMCs if they were unwilling to commit to the pilot AMC.
The programme required day-to-day liaison with senior GAVI and World Bank staff as well as the development of close links with major European donors. We worked in a number of European countries, organising ministerial briefings, submitting motions to governing bodies, supporting the development of relevant civil society forums, and briefing senior civil servants. Baird’s CMC’s contribution helped maintain existing donor commitment and paved the way for additional donors to come into successor AMCs if the pilot is evaluated as successful.
In February 2007, the target of US$ 1.5 billion was achieved.
In June 2009, the formal activation of the implementation phase of the Advance Market Commitment (AMC) pilot project was agreed upon at the G8 Finance Ministers’ meeting.
In February 2011, Kenya became the first country to start immunising children with pneumococcal vaccines purchased through the AMC mechanism.