Kenya’s long reliance on donor support for childhood vaccines is facing a major test even as Gavi receives a fresh US funding boost of Sh77.6 billion, giving the global vaccine alliance more room to maintain immunisation programmes in countries that depend heavily on external financing.
The United States has announced the release of US$600 million to Gavi after Congress approved funding for the 2025 and 2026 financial years. The decision removes a major uncertainty that had surrounded the alliance’s finances after Washington held back contributions for more than a year.
Gavi Chief Executive Officer Dr Sania Nishtar welcomed the move, saying the funding would strengthen vaccination efforts and help countries respond to disease outbreaks.
“This investment will help us to strengthen global defences against outbreaks and pandemics and protect more children from preventable diseases,” she said.
Nishtar said the latest commitment would build on the partnership between Gavi and the United States, which has helped expand childhood vaccination across the world.
“The United States’ partnership has been a key contributor to Gavi’s success in immunising over 1.2 billion children since 2000, and we look forward to renewing this partnership and achieving even greater impact in the years ahead,” she said.
The United States contributes 13 per cent of Gavi’s funding, making it the organisation’s third-largest source of financial support.
The latest release follows a prolonged dispute that put future US contributions to the alliance in doubt. In June last year, US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr said Washington would suspend contributions to Gavi until the organisation “re-earns public trust”.
The decision cast uncertainty over a pledged $1.6 billion contribution covering the 2026–30 period. A separate $300 million allocation approved by Congress for the 2025 financial year had also remained unpaid by November.
The stalemate later attracted pressure from Senate Appropriations Committee leaders Susan Collins and Patty Murray, who called on the State Department to release the approved funds.
The money was finally unlocked following the July 30 announcement, with Gavi agreeing to phase out vaccines containing thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative.
Thimerosal is used in some multi-dose vaccine preparations, including combinations against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, or whooping cough. Such vaccines remain common in lower-income countries such as Kenya because they are less expensive and easier to move and store than single-dose versions.
The preservative has also been at the centre of claims about possible links to autism and developmental problems. However, major reviews by the World Health Organization and other health agencies have found no evidence supporting those claims.
For Kenya, the importance of Gavi support goes beyond routine vaccine purchases. The alliance has helped the country introduce pneumococcal, rotavirus, HPV, yellow fever and malaria vaccines into its immunisation programme.
The support has been linked by health officials to progress in reducing childhood deaths since 2001.
National Treasury figures put the value of Gavi’s assistance to Kenya at more than $950 million. The funding has supported the addition of seven new antigens to the national immunisation schedule.
Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo recently praised the partnership, saying it had played an important role in expanding protection against diseases that can be prevented through vaccination.
“This partnership has been truly transformative,” Kiptoo said.
“Thanks to Gavi’s support, Kenya’s immunisation programme has been significantly strengthened, ensuring that millions of children across the country are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.”
But the latest US funding does not remove Kenya’s longer-term financing challenge.
The country is expected to assume the full cost of its vaccines gradually as its economy grows. Donor support, which was previously expected to end earlier, is now scheduled to continue until 2029 unless Gavi approves another extension.
That deadline has forced the government to consider how it will maintain the gains made under the donor-supported programme while finding more money at home.
During recent talks between the Ministry of Health and Gavi’s board, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale pushed for a carefully planned transition. He called for the country to protect existing immunisation gains as domestic financing for vaccines is increased.
The discussions are linked to a review of Kenya’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation. The findings will inform the National Immunisation Strategy for the 2025–2030 period.
Kenya is also preparing for a new relationship with Gavi in which the government will have more control over vaccine purchases.
Gavi’s board approved the new approach in December under the alliance’s 2026–30 strategy, known as Gavi 6.0. Under the model, nearly 90 per cent of the alliance’s vaccine procurement budget will go directly to national governments instead of being channelled through Unicef.
The shift will give the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority a larger responsibility in securing and managing vaccine supplies.
Gavi says the arrangement is intended to reduce bureaucracy and give governments more control over the use of resources.
The alliance also says the new model will put country ownership at the centre of its work while keeping attention on children who are most at risk, particularly in places where health budgets remain under pressure.
For Kenya, the change means greater control over a critical part of the health system will come with a bigger financial responsibility at a time when the country is already preparing for the eventual end of Gavi support.