The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, in partnership with Team Europe, the African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative, and the Ghana National Vaccine Institute, is hosting a three-day sensitisation workshop in Accra.

The workshop focuses on technology transfer for African vaccine manufacturers.

The Africa CDC, on Tuesday via webinar, said that the workshop aimed to validate a draft companion guideline on technology transfer in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and strengthen efforts to build a sustainable vaccine manufacturing ecosystem on the continent.

The African public health agency stated that this initiative was part of the African Union’s Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing, launched in 2021 to ensure Africa produces 60 per cent of its vaccine needs by 2040.

It stated that the AU expanded PAVM’s mandate to encompass the broader Platform for Harmonised African Health Products Manufacturing, which also covers medicines, diagnostics, and other health products.

Speaking at the event, Simon Agwale, vice-chair of the AVMI board of directors and chair of its technology working group, highlighted the urgent need for Africa to reduce dependency on external partners for vaccine supply and technology.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the next best time is now,” he said.

According to Mr Agwale, despite accounting for 17 per cent of the world’s population, Africa currently produces less than one per cent of its vaccines.

“Key African vaccine manufacturers, including Biovac (South Africa), Innovative Biotech and Biovaccines (Nigeria), Afrigen (South Africa), and Institute Pasteur de Dakar (Senegal), are emerging as leaders in vaccine R&D and biomanufacturing. They are focusing on priority diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, Lassa fever, Ebola, COVID-19, and HPV,” he said

He stated that through initiatives such as PHAHM and the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust, Africa aims to produce 60 per cent of its vaccines locally by 2040.

“By the end of the workshop, organisers expect to finalise the Technology Transfer companion guideline. This will enable regulators, manufacturers, and partners to align efforts and drive Africa’s vaccine self-sufficiency agenda,” he said.

(NAN)