The Africa Centre for Disease Control has set up a platform for African pharmaceutical companies to eventually produce 60 percent of all vaccines used on the continent by 2040. This emerged in a webinar by Doctors Without Borders on the production of COVID-19 vaccines in Africa.
South Africa has managed to vaccinate about 39 percent of the adult population so far. On average, Africa has managed to vaccinate just three percent of its population.
Doctor Nicaise Ndembi from the Africa CDC says Africa currently imports about 99 percent of all its vaccines.
“We’re also engaging with different front runners – member states that have expressed an interest. As I mentioned earlier – to support their own vaccine manufacturing ecosystem. So that’s quite important. We’re reaching out to donors. We’re trying to really identify key support around R&D and talent development in Europe and other stakeholders to accelerate the process,” says Doctor Ndembi.
VIDEO: Africa CDC | Addressing the continent’s lack of vaccine manufacturing capacity:
VIDEO: Africa CDC – Africa’s vaccine manufacturing for health security
