How does the PAHO Revolving Fund for Vaccine Procurement Work?
The Fund operates on an annual cycle. Ministries of Health of each participating country establish annual vaccine requirements for the following year using a quarterly system. PAHO consolidates these annual requirements and places bids to international tender. Criteria for selecting suppliers are based on WHO/PAHO vaccine quality specifications, price, and suppliers track record for timely delivery of vaccines. Once suppliers and prices are established, PAHO averages the prices across sellers for each product and distributes lists to countries. PAHO then places a quarterly order to a supplier, specifying amount, as well as destination and date of shipment. A second phase of PAHOs role involves monitoring orders, expediting delivery and arranging freight-forwarding services. Following satisfactory delivery, PAHO sends an invoice to collect reimbursement, adding a 3% service charge applied to the cost of vaccines. The service charge is held in a special reserve account to which PAHO char
