Poster 3

Mapping procurement bottlenecks and establishing a national coordination mechanism to ensure sustainable financing for vaccine procurement: A case study on Cameroon (22)

Persistent procurement challenges in Cameroon result in central-level stock-outs and supply chain disruptions, yet the procurement process remained unclear. In 2020, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) mapped the procurement processes for traditional and co-financed vaccinesin Cameroon1, and is currently supporting Cameroon to test key recommendations. These include the establishment of a Technical Working Group for Vaccine Financing and Procurement (GTFAV) and request for immunization funds in tranches, for easier approval and timely fund disbursement. These interventions have begun to yield positive results including improved coordination among procurement stakeholders and more improvement in the timeliness of fund disbursement for procurement of co-financed vaccines. As of July 2022, the Government of Cameroon has paid 84% of the funds required for procurement of co-financed vaccines for 2022 and is on track to make its full contribution by December 2022. This is a remarkable development that has been recognized by Gavi and is a great step in ensuring sustainability of Cameroon’s immunization activities after transitioning from Gavi support between 2027 and 2030.