Africa’s plan to manufacture at least 60% of its own vaccines to reduce dependence on imports has received a major boost after a financing initiative was launched to support investment in expanded vaccine production and supply within continent.

The boost has come from the Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVID), whose board has recently established a financing mechanism, the Africa Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), to support plans of ramping up vaccine manufacturing over the next 17 years. (1)

This financing initiative aims to create a viable vaccine manufacturing African market and will make available up to US$ 1 billion to support local vaccine production.

 AVMA had been preceded by the launch of the Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) under the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a public health agency of the African Union (AU) that supports the public health initiatives of AU’s 55-Member States by strengthening health institutions in addressing challenges of disease.

Through PAVM, the African countries are optimistic of developing, producing, and supplying more than 60% of the vaccines that Africa requires at least by 2040.

Currently, Africa produces a mere 1% of the continent’s vaccine requirements hence relying heavily on imported antigens as well as final vaccine products.

With the launch of the AVMA, Africa hopes to grow local manufacturing capacity by 10% by 2025 and 30% by 2030.

Africa’s healthy systems have been described by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change as “often fragile and disease is prevalent.” (2)

“Its lack of manufacturing capacity means it can produce less than 1% cent of its vaccine needs, with the situation set to become even more acute in the future as populations grow,” the Institute says.

The dependence on vaccine imports, the Institute adds, has “disproportionately affected by vaccine nationalism, stockpiling and disturbances to international supply chains.”

Africa, the Institute says, needs to transition from dependence on vaccine imports to self-reliance in production if the imbalance between vaccine demand and supply has to be remedied.

Currently, Africa has 13 operational vaccine companies and organizations with 10 of them having the capacity for fill and finish while five have demonstrated capacity to produce antigens for vaccine production.

At least three companies are involved in research and development and are expected to play a critical role in the rollout of vaccine manufacturing across Africa.

By 2040, the AU says, Africa should have at least 23 manufacturing facilities comprising 12 end-to-end facilities and 11 fill and finish only facilities with capacity to supply at least 22 priority products.

In December 2023, German vaccine manufacturer, BioNTech unveiled a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine manufacturing site in Kigali, Rwanda, with capacity of up 50 million doses annually, as part of the company’s drive to help “build a sustainable and resilient African vaccine ecosystem and supporting equitable access to novel medicines globally.” (3)

The company says the new US$150 million facility, which is intended to manufacture vaccines tailored to the needs of AU Member-States, is based on its high-tech, digitally enabled modular manufacturing units called BioNTainers for the support of research and development, clinical trials, manufacturing and local training of specialized health workers.

The BioNTainers have been specially designed for the laboratory-manufacture of a wide-range of mRNA-based vaccines, which teaches body cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response whenever a disease-causing germ attacks.

China-based biopharmaceutical company, Sinovac Biotech Ltd, has previously invested in a state-of-the-art automated vaccine storage center in Egypt, the largest such storage facility in Africa.

The facility Sinovac says “will significantly boost Egypt's cold chain vaccine storage and distribution capabilities, consequently improving the vaccine supply chain across the African region.” (4)

Increased investment in vaccine manufacturing requires African governments and their development partners to effectively address the challenge of vaccine demand uncertainty. The lack of clarity in demand for these products has also been identified as a major barrier in establishing viable links between Africa’s vaccine producers and international originator firms. (5)

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REFERENCES;

1.https://africacdc.org/news-item/a-breakthrough-for-the-african-vaccine-manufacturing/

2.https://www.institute.global/insights/public-services/vaccine-manufacturing-africa-what-it-takes-and-why-it-matters

3.https://investors.biontech.de/news-releases/news-release-details/biontech-achieves-milestone-mrna-based-vaccine-manufacturing-0

4.http://www.sinovac.com/news/SINOVAC_s_Vital_Role_in_the_Belt_and_Road_Initiative_A_Lifeline_in_the_Fight_Against_Infectious_Diseases-en.html

5.https://www.clintonhealthaccess.org/report/current-and-planned-vaccine-manufacturing-in-africa/

About the Author:

Shem Oirere

Shem Oirere graduated from the University of South Africa with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy, and also holds a Diploma in Journalism from the London School of Journalism. He previously worked for the Kenya Times, Nation Media Group and The People Daily over a twenty-year span as a business writer and Sub-editor. He wishes to share a view of the scenes behind Africa's latest pharma market trends with the rest of the world.