New vaccine funding mechanism launches in Mauritania

Nouakchott, Mauritania, 15 May 2025 – Stakeholders gathered for the successful official launch of a new CSO fund manager mechanism, which aims to increase vaccination coverage among zero-dose and under-vaccinated children in Mauritania. The meeting marked a critical first step in establishing a transparent and accountable partnership between Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) and civil society organisations (CSO).

The event brought together a diverse group of national and international participants from EPI, Gavi, the Gavi CSO fund manager mechanism consortium, led by MannionDaniels, and the three civil society grantees delivering Gavi-funded projects.

The meeting was held in Nouakchott, using a hybrid format to ensure broad participation. In-person sessions took place at EPI premises, with remote participants joining online.

The launch saw opening remarks and vision for civil society engagement by the Ministry of Health, an overview to the Gavi CSO fund manager mechanism and deep dives into the three grantee projects, led by each CSO.

Discussions focused on the objectives and processes of the funding mechanism and the role of civil society in supporting immunisation coverage within existing governmental structures.

This is one in a series of successful country-level launch events for the Gavi CSO fund manager mechanism, contributing to a range of positive outcomes for the funding mechanism and stakeholders. The meeting established an open and constructive dialogue between the EPI and CSOs, facilitating a shared understanding of expectations and roles. A commitment was made to organise planning sessions between CSOs and the EPI to effectively coordinate future interventions.

Cross-organisational reflection on CSO approaches, particularly Santé Globale for urban areas and OSFSR for nomadic communities, enriched the discussion and allowed for better contextualisation of interventions.

Dialogue between CSOs on the scope and complexity of their plans showed the added value of the meeting as a platform for sharing project strategies and encouraging knowledge exchange among implementing partners.

The meeting concluded with an emphasis on the importance of continuous communication with regular meetings, working groups, and document sharing to keep all stakeholders informed.