Gavi and Government of Lesotho announce resumption of direct funding

Maseru, 10 May - Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Government of Lesotho have signed a Letter of Intent on the resumption of direct funding to the Government of Lesotho, following the successful implementation of pre-disbursement financial systems requirements . The development follows a programme launched in 2022 by Gavi to support Lesotho in strengthening its financial management capabilities to enable the country to address all Grant Management Requirements (GMRs).

"We commend the Government of Lesotho for its commitment to building back better and ensuring greater financial accountability and transparency. Gavi is pleased to stand by Lesotho's side as we embark on this new chapter of our partnership and look forward to this continued partnership as we sustain the gains in the long term," said Thabani Maphosa, Managing Director of Country Programmes Delivery at Gavi.

As of April 2024, all mandatory GMRs have been successfully addressed, enabling Gavi to resume direct funds disbursement through the government system from the second half of 2024.

Gavi will also continue to provide public financial management capacity-building support through the end of 2025 to ensure financial management assistance is available at both the national and sub-national levels to ensure sustainability.

"This unique moment is an opportunity for the Government of Lesotho to strengthen our relationship with partners. We look forward to working together to drive and sustain positive changes in our country's health system," said Selibe Mochoboroane, Lesotho's Minister of Health.

Commenting on the development, Tlohang Sekhamane, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Lesotho, commended the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance for putting in place strong public financial management, accountability and transparency structures that have enabled the return of direct Gavi support to Lesotho. He encouraged the Ministry of Health to ensure that the country does not fall back from Gavi support due to accountability issues, urging all stakeholders including the parliament to work together for the prosperity of Lesotho people.

Gavi and its Alliance partners commend the Government of Lesotho for its dedication to improving financial management and transparency. This milestone marks an important step in the country's journey towards greater self-reliance and sustainable immunisation programmes.

The event marking the resumption of disbursement of funds was also witnessed by the international development community led by EU Ambassador to Lesotho Ms Paola Amadei, UN Resident Coordinator in Lesotho Ms Amanda Mukwashi, World Bank Country Representative Dr Yoichiro Ishihara , including representation from MCC, USAID, and Alliance partners WHO and UNICEF.

Notes to editors

About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate more than half the world's children against some of the world's deadliest diseases. Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunize a whole generation - over 1 billion children - and prevented more than 17.3 million future deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 78 lower-income countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines. After two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation, above all the zero-dose children who have not received even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs innovative finance and the latest technology - from drones to biometrics - to save lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Facebook and X (Twitter).

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