RWANDA—President Paul Kagame has met with Dr. Albert Bourla, Chairman and CEO of Pfizer, to discuss expanding partnerships aimed at improving equitable access to healthcare.
This meeting follows their earlier discussions in August 2023 in New York, where they explored collaborations on pharmaceutical patents and related healthcare initiatives.
According to a statement from the Office of the President, released on September 12, the latest talks centred around Pfizer’s “An Accord for a Healthier World” initiative.
This program seeks to provide high-quality, safe, and effective healthcare solutions to all, with a special focus on underserved populations.
Kagame and Bourla emphasized the importance of such partnerships in driving healthcare equity globally.
In parallel with these discussions, Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, and Samuel Abikunda, the Commercial Counsellor at the Rwandan Embassy in China, led a high-level mission to BGI Genomics earlier in September.
Their visit, held on September 8, 2024, aimed to explore further opportunities for public health collaboration between Rwanda and BGI Genomics.
This mission aligns with Rwanda’s broader vision of strengthening healthcare systems through international partnerships.
In 2022, Pfizer, a global leader in biopharmaceuticals, launched an initiative to supply medicines and vaccines to 45 lower-income countries on a not-for-profit basis to promote global health equity.
Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, and Uganda were among the first beneficiaries of this program., with the initiative making current and future patent-protected medicines and vaccines, which are available in the U.S. and EU, accessible to these countries under similar conditions.
Health officials in these participating countries have been instrumental in identifying and addressing challenges to ensure the effective distribution of treatments.
Their insights have been crucial in helping Pfizer refine the program for broader implementation across all 45 target countries.
Kagame has praised this initiative, stressing that rapid and affordable access to advanced medicines and vaccines is essential for achieving global health equity.
He also urged other pharmaceutical companies to follow Pfizer’s lead in promoting accessible healthcare for all.
In a related development, Pfizer is not the only pharmaceutical company making strides in Rwanda.
This facility includes the cutting-edge BioNTainer, a modular, high-tech production unit. The first BioNTainer arrived in Kigali in March 2023 and was set up to produce mRNA, with a second unit expected to arrive in early 2024 to formulate bulk medicinal products.
BioNTech has committed approximately US$150 million to complete the construction of this 35,000-square-meter facility, which will employ around 100 people once fully operational.
The project covers a range of areas, including research and development, clinical trials, local production, and workforce training.
These efforts were highlighted in a full-day seminar titled “Working Together to Promote Vaccine Equity for Africa,” which took place ahead of the official opening.
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