AFRICA — German mRNA vaccine maker BioNTech has joined forces with vaccine manufacturing facilities in Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa to help the African Union’s goal of producing 60% of the continent’s vaccine requirements by 2040, as announced at the World Health Summit.
However, former Chief Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria and World Health Summit Ambassador, Ayaode Alakija, has raised concerns, emphasizing that Africa needs a comprehensive approach to manufacturing, not just a “cut-and-paste model.”
According to her, partnerships are crucial, and BioNTech and its partners are taking the first steps towards real vaccine manufacturing in Africa.
Despite pandemic-related challenges, BioNTech managed to transition from conceptualizing a modular vaccine production facility in Rwanda in March 2020 to breaking ground in June 2021, according to BioNTech’s Sierk Potting.
This initiative is part of the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM), launched in April 2021, aiming to expand local vaccine production.
Currently, less than 1% of vaccines administered in Africa are locally manufactured, contributing to the continent’s struggle to access COVID-19 vaccines.
Potting stressed the urgency of local manufacturing, underscoring the feasibility of achieving it through partnerships with organizations like the African Union and the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Emile Bienvenu, Director-General of Rwanda’s Food and Drug Administration, outlined Rwanda’s strategic approach to this endeavor, focusing on attracting investors and becoming a regional hub for vaccine production, with key factors being research and development, regulatory framework, supply chain, manufacturing, and human capital.
Bienvenu also highlighted the role of the African Medicines Agency, set to be established in Rwanda, in boosting pharmaceutical manufacturing across the continent.
Ayaode Alakija warned against tokenism and stressed the need for a more comprehensive approach. She rejected the “cut-and-paste model” in favor of end-to-end manufacturing, advocating for a focus on decolonization and acknowledging historical governance problems within Africa.
Alakija also challenged the idea of a seamless path to vaccine equity, pointing out past difficulties in procuring vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She highlighted the global north’s vaccine hoarding history and called for a better understanding of geopolitics to address the governance issues in Africa.
Moreover, Alakija suggested that investing in health infrastructure might be a more crucial priority than vaccine manufacturing.
Marie-Ange Saraka-Yao, from the global vaccine platform Gavi, emphasized the importance of a sustained, long-term effort to enhance vaccine manufacturing in Africa.
She also discussed the need to balance product quality and pricing and introduced the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), a financial instrument aimed at supporting sustainable vaccine procurement and manufacturing in Africa, especially for new manufacturers facing initial high costs.
Saraka-Yao’s goal is to enable the production of at least 700 million vaccine doses annually over time.
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