A renowned virologist, Oyewale Tomori, has raised concerns about African countries paying nearly three times more for vaccines when procured independently yet receive far fewer doses.

Speaking on Monday in Abuja, Mr Tomori described the situation as unacceptable.

He was reacting to new insights from a Gavi report titled ‘Expanding Sustainable Vaccine Manufacturing in Africa: Priorities for Support’.

The virologist, who was also a former president of the Nigerian Academy of Science, said that this exposed disparities in vaccine costs and volumes across different procurement mechanisms in Africa.

“African countries that bought vaccines directly from manufacturers in 2020 spent $519 million. The countries, however, received only 141 million doses, translating to an average cost of $3.68 per dose, the highest among all procurement pathways. In comparison, Gavi-facilitated procurement cost of $726 million for 438 million doses, averaging $1.66 per dose,” he said.

Mr Tomori said UNICEF-managed procurement for Gavi-eligible countries delivered 729 million doses for just $137 million, at a rock-bottom average of $0.18 per dose.

“This data is not just embarrassing. It is a loud indictment of a broken system. When we procure directly, we pay more and get less. It is that simple. Meanwhile, international pooled procurement mechanisms deliver better value and more doses,” the virologist said.

He said UNICEF spent the least and received the most doses.

Mr Tomori said that, despite handling nearly 56 per cent of the total vaccine volume (729 million of 1.3 billion doses), UNICEF accounted for just 10 per cent of the total cost.

He stated that direct country procurement, which accounted for only 11 per cent of doses, consumed 38 per cent of the total financial expenditure.

The virologist identified two key drivers of this disparity: pricing discrimination by manufacturers and corruption in national procurement systems. He said manufacturers offered different prices depending on who was making the purchase.

He cited the lack of transparency and accountability in direct procurement as a major contributor to inflated costs and poor outcomes. While describing the situation as unsustainable, he reiterated the urgent need for Africa to build its vaccine manufacturing capacity.

“If we do not produce our vaccines, we will always remain beggars, paying more, receiving less, and begging for leftovers. The COVID-19 pandemic taught us this. This Gavi report confirms it,” he said. “We must localise production, clean up procurement processes, and never again allow our children’s lives to be priced at a premium we can not afford.” 

(NAN)