Rwanda’s newly launched syringe factory which focuses on producing syringes for vaccines, has been lauded as a facility that is of significance not only to the country but the region and the continent as well. Inaugurated on Tuesday, April 1, the World Health Organisation (WHO)-prequalified facility has the capacity to produce up to one million syringes daily. It is operated by TKMD Rwanda, a subsidiary of the Chinese company Anhui Tiankang Medical Technology. The syringes it produces are designed to automatically disable after a single use. They will be supplied to UNICEF for vaccination programs across various parts of Africa. Endorsed by the WHO, the syringes are a key component of vaccination campaigns led by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI). The advanced safety features of such syringes have proven effective in preventing the transmission of blood-borne diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C during treatment processes. In this article, The New Times looks at the significance of the factory. 1. Addressing Africa’s Syringe Shortage Speaking to The New Times, Bo Jinlei, CEO TKMD Rwanda, said that the one million syringes they produce every day may be much more than what the Rwandan market needs. Currently, the syringes manufactured in Rwanda have reached foreign countries including Tanzania, Ethiopian, Malawi and more. It is estimated that Africa needs about 1.2 billion of such syringes every year. TKMD can produce close to 400 million syringes in a year to respond to the need in part. Talking about the factory, the Minister of Health, Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, said it is going to be useful beyond Rwanda, noting that shipments of syringes have already been going to different countries. 2. Dealing with Rwanda and Africa’s vaccination challenges Nsanzimana said that Rwanda previously faced challenges in regards to procurement of critical products, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. He recalled that though the country received many vaccines from foreign nations, the donations of syringes were limited, which created a challenge. He noted that there were scenarios where vaccines would land at the airport, but they could not be used due to lack of syringes. “We couldn't use them because there were no syringes to administer vaccines to the people. We had to wait,” he said. ALSO READ: Rwanda mulls using biometric tech in vaccination programs Noting that this was a problem faced by many countries across the continent since they were relying foreign supply, Nsanzimana said Rwanda’s manufacturing facility will be important in satisfying not only the needs of the country but also for “our brothers and sisters in Africa and beyond.” 3. Advancing Rwanda’s medical regulatory standards The presence of such manufacturing plants, which must undergo various approval processes, plays a crucial role in advancing the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA) to higher levels of maturity, Nsanzimana hinted. Last year, Rwanda FDA achieved Maturity Level 3 (ML3) for the regulation of medicines and vaccines (non-producing), a significant milestone recognized by the World Health Organisation (WHO). ML3 signifies stable, well-functioning, and integrated regulatory systems capable of ensuring the quality, safety, and efficacy of medical products. The recognition pointed to Rwanda’s commitment to maintaining high standards in public health protection through robust regulatory oversight and demonstrates Rwanda FDA’s capability to effectively regulate and monitor the safety, quality, and efficacy of medicines, vaccines, and medical devices in Rwanda. Dr. Nsanzimana noted that Rwanda FDA’s next target is to attain Maturity Level 4, the highest level in the WHO's Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) for medicines and vaccines regulations. “It's our next target, but you can't achieve all these levels of manufacturing if you are not manufacturing. For them (Rwanda FDA) as a regulator, they need also to do this in practice, to have these kinds of factories,” he said. 4. Economic and Social Impact in Rwamagana The facility employs over 100 people, 80 percent of whom are women, enhancing healthcare quality and access. “We are seeing a lot of opportunities for skills, for development, but also for young people to be inspired,” Nsanzimana said. He lauded the facility for contributing to the dreams of young people, their passion, and their ambitions. He referred to the factory as a catalyst for so many changes that are going to bring “a lot of equity in global health. He added that it will change the story of countries’ health programs being hindered due to the lack of such small products like syringes which can be manufactured on the continent.
