14 Million KM Allocated: FBiH Procures 800,000 COVID-19 Vaccines

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at today's 182nd emergency session held by telephone, gave consent to the Agreement on mutual rights and obligations regarding the procurement of vaccines through the mechanism for Global Access to Vaccines for COVID-19 Prevention (COVAX) and authorized the Federal Minister of Health, Vjekoslav Mandić, to sign it with the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is envisaged that it will also be signed by representatives of the relevant ministry of the Republika Srpska and the Department for Health and Other Services of the Brčko District of BiH.

The Agreement is concluded with the aim of securing financial conditions for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines under the most favorable terms through GAVI, the Global Alliance for Vaccines, which manages the Mechanism for Global Access to COVID-19 Vaccine (COVAX), with the engagement of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organization, and according to the conditions of the Purchase Agreement concluded with the GAVI Alliance.

The Federal Government amended its conclusions of August 28, 2020, and committed to procuring the COVID-19 vaccine within the COVAX mechanism for vaccinating 20 percent of the most vulnerable population of the Federation of BiH, so that, according to the estimate of the Institute for Public Health of FBiH, 800,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are procured at the price submitted by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH on September 10, 2020, in the amount of 10.55 US dollars per vaccine.

As explained, the needs of countries, in the pre-booking process, cover 20 percent of the population. Therefore, it was necessary to amend part of the previously adopted conclusion, which stated that the vaccine refers to 40 percent of the most vulnerable population. The quantity of the vaccine remains the same, as the calculation was made according to the recommendation of the World Health Organization, so that two doses of the vaccine are received per individual.

The Government of the Federation of BiH will secure funds from the Budget of the Federation of BiH for the procurement of the COVID-19 vaccine in the planned quantity, in accordance with its legal obligations under the Law on Health Care, and in connection with Article 49 of the Law on Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases, as well as the Order declaring an epidemic of the infectious disease COVID-19, in the amount of 14,010,400 KM, which is the equivalent of 8,440,000 US dollars at the middle exchange rate of September 8, 2020, instead of the previously approved 13,200,000 KM.

Today, the allocation of funds from the Current Reserve of the Government of FBiH of the Budget of FBiH for 2020 to the Federal Ministry of Health in the amount of 2,124,800 KM was approved for financing the procurement of the COVID-19 vaccine, instead of the previously planned 1,980,000 KM, which is 15 percent of the total amount.

From the Budget of the Federation of BiH, funds will be secured for the payment of the exchange rate difference on the payment date compared to the middle exchange rate of September 8, 2020, which was established by the Agreement on mutual rights and obligations regarding the procurement of vaccines through the mechanism for Global Access to Vaccines for COVID-19 Prevention (COVAX).