Vaccine Procurement Forum (VPF)
An annual peer-to-peer learning event to foster knowledge exchange and best practice sharing among vaccine procurement practitioners to strengthen skills and understanding on diverse vaccine procurement topics.
The Vaccine Procurement Forum (VPF), previously known as Vaccine Procurement Practitioners Exchange Forum (VPPEF), is an annual event that promotes knowledge exchange and best practice sharing, in order to strengthen participants’ skills and understanding on diverse vaccine procurement topics.
The long-term goal for the VPF is to support countries and their procurement processes to ensure sustainable access to quality assured vaccines, which is also one of the core principles of the Immunization Agenda 2030. Since its launch in 2015, it has evolved to become a well-established peer-to-peer learning forum that supports not only countries that procure vaccines through UNICEF but also all self-procuring countries.
Below are some overviews of the most recent VPF meetings. More information, including ongoing e-discussions around these topics, is available on the Vaccine Procurement Practitioners Network .
Regional VPFs in 2024
In 2024, UNICEF Supply Division hosted two regional VPFs in collaboration with UNICEF regional offices. The VPFs brought together vaccine procurement experts in the respective regions to discuss experiences, lessons learned, and best practices on immunization planning, forecasting and budgeting for sustainable vaccine procurement.
On 4-5 November 2024, UNICEF Supply Division and UNICEF East Asia and Pacific (EAP) Regional Office co-hosted the EAP regional VPF in Bangkok, Thailand. The VPF convened over 50 participants from eight countries from the region. It facilitated peer-to-peer learning focusing on routine immunization planning, forecasting, and integrating budgets with procurement strategies and National Immunization Strategy (NIS) objectives to ensure access to supply and avoid future outbreaks.
The Forum provided an opportunity to discuss regional collaboration to develop sustainable approaches for vaccine procurement and stock management, including a panel session on regional pooled procurement.
On 28-29 November 2024, UNICEF Supply Division and UNICEF West and Central Africa (WCA) Regional Office co-hosted the WCA regional VPF in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. With over 45 participants from seven countries in the region, the Forum focused on strengthening planning for new vaccine introductions, improving forecasting, and aligning budget execution with NIS objectives. Using human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) and malaria vaccines as case studies, participants shared lessons learned and best practices around how to optimize vaccine transition processes considering national financing to ensure the sustainable implementation of the introductions.
VPPEF 2023
On June 20–21, 2023, UNICEF Supply Division hosted the annual Vaccine Procurement Practitioners Exchange Forum (VPPEF) in Copenhagen. With 65 participants from 16 countries, the Forum provided a venue for peer-to-peer cooperation among practitioners who had an opportunity to exchange knowledge and lessons learnt, as well as to discuss challenges on sustainable access to vaccines when considering the introduction of a new vaccine.
The Forum used the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as a deep dive case study for participants to discuss and learn from what topics to consider when deciding on a new vaccine introduction for their immunization programme.
The main focus of the meeting was on participants sharing best practices on how to utilize market intelligence to inform their procurement strategies and decision when considering a new vaccine introduction, as well as which key procurement principles should be examined when developing their strategy.
Ensuring access to sustainable financing for immunization programmes was also explored. The participants reviewed the current situation and challenges faced by their own countries and regions in introducing and continuing with new vaccines, and examined possible mitigating strategies that could be implemented to respond to the challenges identified during the Forum.
Check the perspectives from participants of the event on Sharing knowledge and building skills.
MENA Regional VPPEF 2022
On 19 and 20 October 2022, UNICEF Supply Division and UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Office (MENARO) held the MENA regional VPPEF in Amman, Jordan. The meeting brought together government representatives, and UNICEF staff and partners to discuss vaccine procurement in the region.
The Forum focused on new vaccine introductions, including how to work towards vaccine security and best practices to ensure access to immunization products. The participants also provided their assessment on programmatic implications of new vaccines with emphasis on the pneumococcal conjugate, HPV and rotavirus vaccines, shared lessons learned, and discussed how to overcome challenges like access to sustainable financing.
Moving forward, UNICEF will continue to support the MENA government partners to operationalize key priorities identified during the Forum for 2023 and beyond.
eV-MPPEF 2021
The 2021 global edition of the VPPEF for the first time covered the procurement of medicines – becoming the Vaccine and Medicine Procurement Practitioners Forum (eV-MPPEF) – to provide procurement practitioners the platform and opportunity to discuss procurement from a health product lens.
The eV-MPPEF was held online on 6 and 7 December 2021 and engaged and leveraged collective knowledge from health procurement practitioners on topics related to the procurement of vaccines and medicines during the COVID-19 response, as well as provided an update on the current global immunization status.
The discussion focused on key challenges, including that many immunization activities planned for the second half of 2020 were postponed due to COVID-19. Therefore, the eV-MPPEF also discussed some of the key achievements and mitigating strategies that participants implemented in their respective countries to reinstate these activities during 2021.
The meeting had a significant participation of the global supply community, with 109 participants from governments, UNICEF and partner organizations.
VPPEF Regional Clinic 2021
UNICEF Supply Division, in collaboration with the East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), hosted an online two-day Regional Vaccine Procurement Practitioners Exchange Forum (VPPEF) on the 23 and 24 June 2021. The Forum brought together governments, UNICEF, WHO, and Gavi and other partners to discuss and exchange knowledge and experiences on the COVID-19 vaccine roll out in the region, as well as the continued need to strengthen vaccine procurement planning processes and financing for routine vaccines.
