Mozambique received the first‑ever Gavi Leap Champion recognition during a Gavi‑convened dialogue on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, acknowledging its leadership in country ownership, health‑system strengthening and sustainable immunisation investment.

The award was accepted by Health Minister Dr Ussene Hilário Isse, who said it reflects the President’s commitment to reforms driven by national priorities and better alignment with development partners.

What the Gavi Leap entails

The Gavi Leap is a new operating model that shifts financing and decision‑making to the country level, linking immunisation budgets with broader health‑system strategies under the 2026‑2030 strategic shift.

Mozambique was the first to apply Gavi’s holistic immunisation budgeting, aligning vaccine financing with its National Immunisation Strategy and integrating it into the national health agenda.

Key reforms driving the award

The country’s recent health‑system reforms include the 2026 National Health System Law, which formalised the Community Health Subsystem and placed community health workers on the national wage bill, strengthening primary‑care delivery.

Mozambique has also engaged in regional health‑system discussions through the Lusaka Agenda and the African Union, focusing on integrated community care, financing and supply‑chain improvements.

Implications for other African nations

Gavi Board Chair Helen Clark and Gavi CEO Dr Sania Nishtar said Mozambique’s experience offers a model for other countries seeking to align partner support with national health priorities and to embed immunisation within broader system reforms.

The recognition underscores a growing global shift toward greater national responsibility for planning and deploying external health financing, encouraging similar reforms across the continent.