Africa remains underserved, with just over six per cent of her population vaccinated as the continent struggles to secure timely access to adequate supplies for the vital vaccines through multiple approaches. The silver lining from this unfortunate situation is that it has given the impetus for African countries to accelerate the efforts to manufacture vaccines from within the continent. It is not just vaccines for Covid-19, but for other diseases. As it stands, Africa locally produces less than one percent of the vaccines consumed on the continent, and aims to increase the figure to 60 percent in the next 20 years. This is at a time when Africa has the highest incidence of mortality caused by infectious diseases, and does not have the capacity to manufacture vaccines that are essential to reduce mortality, improving life expectancy, and promoting economic growth. Estimates suggest that Africa’s existing vaccine market is worth $1.3 billion, and that is expected to grow to about $2.4 billion by 2030. According to experts, expanding vaccine manufacturing in Africa is a complex undertaking, requiring several factors to align. Among other things, it will require widespread collaboration among abroad range of stakeholders. Achieving the feat will among other things require incentivising research and development (R&D) and vaccine production in partnership with national governments. Therein is also a great economic opportunity in Africa producing its own pharmaceutical products because, currently, the continent spends $16billion on importing pharmaceutical products annually. Rwanda is set to become one of the vaccine hubs, as part of the Africa CDC’s efforts to build five manufacturing facilities on the continent. Global Biotechnology Company recently decided to construct Africa’s first mRNA facilities in the country, and another in Senegal. Going forward, the opportunity presented by the establishment of the vaccine plants are not just for the two countries but entire continent. Actualization of the vaccine development ambitions in Africa will require involvement of other African countries in multiple ways including investments, human resources, inputs among other avenues to fast track actualisation of the goals.
