Review of Financing of Immunization Programs in Developing and Transitional Countries. Special Initiatives Report No. 12

摘要

This paper presents a review of selected issues related to immunization financing in developing and transitional countries. Information for this review was obtained through an extensive literature search and through an E-mail survey sent to all United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) country offices. Information is presented in four main areas: (1) the costs of immunization programs, with a focus on the costs of introducing additional vaccines; (2) financing of immunization services, including trends in government vs. donor funding, financing of new vaccines, and the use of cost recovery for immunization services; (3) the effects of a changing health sector on immunization financing, including the impact of decentralization, the role of the private sector in providing immunization, and the impact of disease eradication programs; and (4) country experiences with international mechanisms to facilitate vaccine financing, such as the Vaccine Independence Initiative, the PAHO Revolving Fund, and the European Union Initiative.