AMC Pilot for Pneumococal Vaccines Key Publications Framework Document: Pilot AMC for Pneumococal Vaccines Nov. 9, 2006 AMC Pilot Proposal, Sept. 7, 2006 (pdf 130kb) Tremonti Report to the G8 Finance Ministers -- Background Papers 1st Donor Working Group (Rome, 7 September 2006) Summary (12kb) Presentations 2nd Donor Working Group (London, 9 November 2006) Agenda Summary (pdf 12kb) Participants (pdf 30kb) Presentations -- Related Topics -- GAVI Alliance  Center for Global Development Health Systems Development

AMCs offer a powerful and cost-effective market-based financing mechanism to accelerate the development and availability of priority new vaccines against diseases that currently kill millions of people in developing countries. The mechanism complements existing prevention, treatment and research efforts by providing a financial commitment to subsidize the future purchase of a vaccine not yet available, if an appropriate vaccine is developed and if it is demanded by developing countries. Early, guaranteed commitments encourage potential vaccine suppliers to invest in R&D and production capacity to serve developing countries, secure in the knowledge that there will be a viable market if they supply products that eligible countries want to buy.

In January 2005, G7 Finance Ministers intrigued by the concept launched a consultation process to advise on technical aspects of a pilot AMC. They called on the World Bank and GAVI Alliance (www.gavialliance.org) as well as an Advisory Group of AMC stakeholders comprised of academics and technical experts in the global health community to provide insight into the technical and structural options for the pilot. An independent Expert Committee was also convened to provide an independent recommendation on which vaccine-preventable disease would be most suitable for the initial AMC pilot.

The advisory process concluded that AMCs were a feasible, innovative, sustainable, cost-effective, results-oriented and market-based tool in the fight against global disease and poverty. The recommended candidate for the first AMC pilot is Pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal disease (pneumonia and meningitis) kills around 1.6 million people a year, most of them children. A successful AMC would prevent roughly 5.4 million deaths by 2030. The Expert Committee also recommended that a second AMC for a malaria vaccine be explored to stimulate early R&D investment and to pilot the impact of the AMC on early stage vaccines. A successful Malaria AMC would prevent roughly 2 million deaths by 2030.

Led by the Governments of Italy, Canada and the United Kingdom, a Donor Working Group has been established to guide the additional technical work needed and agree on the structural details that will enable donors to make concrete financing commitments to launch a pilot AMC for a pneumococcal vaccine before the end of the year.