The Immunization Resource Tracking Project strengthened country level data on immunization financing and immunization sustainability. The Abt-led project supported the production of immunization expenditure estimates and the development of policy briefs and other tools related to producing immunization expenditure data and promoting the use of these data in decision-making. The Immunization Resource Tracking Project was supported through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Policy Brief Series

Benin’s Immunization Financing Landscape
An analysis of Benin’s spending reveals that the government’s commitment to immunization and contribution to immunization expenditure continues to increase over time. Comparison of the country’s spending on immunization programs and coverage data with that of its neighboring countries suggests that further valuable lessons on sustainability and efficiency can be learned by the government of Benin.

Ethiopia’s Immunization Financing Outlook
An analysis of Ethiopia’s immunization spending reveals that despite significant progress in immunization coverage, challenges to increasing coverage persist. In addition to increasing domestic resources for immunization, Ethiopia should investigate the origins of household spending on immunization, and explore strategies to increase efficiency of the program.

Improving Immunization Programming in Mozambique
An analysis of Mozambique’s 2015 immunization spending reveals that despite adequate resources and increases in immunization coverage, challenges to the immunization program persist. In addition to examining the efficiency of the immunization program, Mozambique would benefit from efforts to report and compile immunization spending data more effectively.

Analysis of Immunization Spending in Zambia
After having successfully recovered from a decline in immunization coverage earlier this decade, the Zambian government’s immunization expenditures have declined in recent years. Meanwhile, household spending on immunization raises questions about why families are purchasing a service that should be free of cost. To better understand and address these trends, Zambia would benefit from conducting regular expenditure tracking exercises, with input from the immunization program team.

Understanding and Using Immunization Expenditure Data (Primer)
The availability of regular immunization expenditure data—generated by tools such as Health Accounts—provides immunization program managers with an evidence base for planning and ensuring adequate funding. The goal of this primer is to 1) describe methodologies for generating immunization spending data, 2) describe the types of policy and program issues the data can help address and 3) discuss how immunization program managers (and policymakers, where appropriate) can support the production and use of immunization expenditure data.

Related Resources:

Producing and Using Immunization Expenditure Data (Podcast)
Abt Global, through the Immunization Resource Tracking Project, has developed a podcast on producing and using immunization spending data to inform policy and planning. Ultimately focused on ensuring adequate resources for immunization services, the podcast includes tips and tools for immunization program managers.

Immunization Spending Data to Inform Policy and Planning (Webinar)
Immunization spending data can play a key role in informing policy and planning. Abt Global (leading the Immunization Resource Tracking Project) and Results for Development (leading the Learning Network for Countries in Transition project) co-host a webinar during which our panel of experts discuss how countries can produce better immunization spending data and how this data can be analyzed and presented to inform policy and planning.