• World Bank Group and Gavi sign a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen immunisation, primary healthcare and regional vaccine manufacturing

• Together, the partners will help countries mobilise a targeted US$ 2 billion from 2026–2030 to support them on their path to fully funding immunisation and primary health care priorities

• The agreement was signed by Dr Sania Nishtar, Gavi CEO, and Ajay Banga, World Bank Group President, on the sidelines of the Universal Health Coverage High-Level Forum, jointly hosted by the Government of Japan, World Health Organization and the World Bank Group

Washington, D.C. / Geneva, 6 December 2025 – Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), and the World Bank Group are deepening their collaboration to strengthen financing for immunization and primary healthcare systems, while also supporting regional vaccine manufacturing in Africa. Working together, the two organizations plan to mobilize at least US$ 2 billion over the next five years in joint financing, aligned with country priorities.

“Our partnership with Gavi is an important step toward achieving our goal of delivering quality health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030,” said World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. “Strengthening health systems provides more than better care. These efforts will create jobs, boost economic growth, and build long-term resilience across the health sector.”

To support low- and lower middle-income countries as they transition from external support to long term sustainable financing, Gavi and the World Bank Group will leverage new financing tools, such as blended finance, buydowns, and guarantees, and work together in areas like public financial management.

“Our expanded collaboration with the World Bank Group reflects a long-standing joint effort to support countries as they build robust and resilient health systems,” said Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “As Gavi embarks on its next five-year strategic period and implements the transformative Gavi Leap agenda, the additional resources made available to countries through this collaboration will be critical to our mission to accelerate progress towards country ownership, self-reliance and strengthened health systems that are resilient and responsive in the face of future health threats.”

Gavi and the World Bank Group will also work together to advance vaccine manufacturing in Africa, aligned with the African Union’s goal of producing 60% of the continent’s vaccines domestically by 2040, and with Gavi’s African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator. Collaboration with partners will be central to this effort.

The partnership will be critical for delivering the World Bank Group's goal to help countries reach 1.5 billion people with quality, affordable health services by 2030. Since launching this initiative 18 months ago, the World Bank Group and partners have reached 375 million more people and work is underway to scale proven primary care approaches that strengthen health outcomes while generating employment across health workforce, local supply chains and supporting industries.

In June, Gavi announced US$ 4.5 billion in complementary financing with Multilateral Development Banks and development finance institutions at its replenishment summit. This MoU is a key step in delivering on this ambition and was signed by Dr Sania Nishtar, Gavi CEO, and Ajay Banga, World Bank Group President, on the sidelines of the Universal Health Coverage High-level Forum, hosted by the Government of Japan in collaboration with the World Bank Group and the World Health Organization.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Cirũ Kariũki
+41 79 913 94 41
ckariuki@gavi.org

Meg Sharafudeen
+41 79 711 55 54
msharafudeen@gavi.org

World Bank Media Relations
+1 (202) 473 7660
press@worldbank.org 

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