Conference Dates
June 12 – 17, 2022
Abstract
Emerging and known infectious diseases pose a constant threat to the health and prosperity of Africa and its people. Africa, like other regions of the world with a high burden of vaccine preventable diseases, has benefited immensely from vaccines and Africa’s growing population means an increase in the continuing need for vaccines. By 2050, Africa’s population will be 2.5 billion and one in four people in the world will be African.
However, Africa has limited capacity to produce vaccines, yet is the most in need of routine vaccines. Currently less than 1% of vaccines used in Africa is made in Africa while Unicef supplies more than 60% of its global demand for vaccines to Africa.
Dependency on external vaccines supply has rendered Africa vulnerable in epidemics and pandemics, and poorly prepared to respond adequately to emergency situations during disease outbreaks.
Local vaccine development and production in Africa is therefore essential to support Africa’s growing needs and specific disease burdens as well as boost socio-economic development and the development of skills in biotechnology, and positively impact industrial and life science development.
However, building local capacity would require the right level of political and technical support, including a clear, well-funded and coherent regional policymaking and planning approach, allowing development of the necessary ecosystem to establish a viable, competitive and sustainable vaccine manufacturing capability.
An overview of the work of the African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative (AVMI) and its mission of advancing vaccine development and manufacturing capacity in Africa will be provided. Collaborative efforts with partners, progress to date and the need for an African vaccine manufacturing policy will be discussed.
Please click Additional File below for the presentation.
Recommended Citation
Ebrahim Mohamed and Patrick Tippoo, "Advancing vaccine development and manufacture in Africa" in "Vaccine Technology VIII", Tarit Mukhopadhyay, Merck Research Laboratories, USA; Charles Lutsch, Sanofi Pasteur, France; Linda Hwee-Lin Lua, University of Queensland, Australia; Francesc Godia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain Eds, ECI Symposium Series, (2022). https://dc.engconfintl.org/vaccine_viii/43