The African Union has decided that by 2040, 60% of vaccinations used in Africa will be manufactured domestically.
While attending an International Vaccine Institute (IVI) workshop on vaccine manufacturing in Africa in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, President William Ruto emphasized the importance of African countries producing vaccines to help stop various disease pandemics.
President Ruto noted that most African countries were heavily affected, particularly during the global Covid 19 pandemic, when Covid vaccines were in high demand.
“The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the dire state of Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing, including that of vaccines. We were the last continent to access Covid-19 vaccines, and suffered greatly from ‘vaccine nationalism’,” He said.
The chief of state stated that the African continent have the scientific potential to develop vaccinations.
“This is underpinned by our solid research capacity in vaccines. Kenya, for instance, participated in the Covid-19 vaccine trials,” revealed Ruto.
Several heads of state, including President Mohamed al-Menfi (Libya) and Brahim Ghali (Sahrawi), attended a meeting on vaccine manufacture in Africa with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Others were Tunisia’s Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani, IVI Director General Jerome Kim, and Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.