In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gavi faces an unprecedented situation. Billions of dollars that it raised back in 2022 for COVAX the global effort to provide COVID-19 vaccines to lower-income countries remain unspent. These resources are substantial, exceeding the entire annual budget of the World Health Organization (WHO) and are three times the amount allocated to the World Bank-managed Pandemic Fund. However, there is a lack of clarity about how much is remains unspent and a lack of transparency regarding the decision-making process and trade-offs associated with different options to spend this money.
If we want the world to be better prepared for the next pandemic, we need to expand the pie for global health and pandemic preparedness. To do this, advocates need to look beyond Official Development Assistance (ODA).