African health experts discuss vaccine manufacturing regulation

Health experts gathered in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, to discuss a regulatory framework for African vaccine manufacturing.

The two-day East Africa Pharma and Biotech Conference, due to close on Wednesday, was organized by the Rwandan government and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Speaking at the opening on Tuesday, Rwandan State Minister for Health Yvan Butera called for “collaboration between research centers, academia and the private sector to help create hubs to facilitate innovations in the pharmaceutical industry.”

Butera stressed the need for a functioning system to be able to absorb the technologies required to deal with emerging disease outbreaks and pandemics.

Key speakers underlined the need for more investments and collaboration with the biopharma industry on the continent and beyond to achieve universal health coverage and health security for Africa.

They noted that reliance on imports of health products remains a big concern on the continent, which imports almost 99 percent of its vaccines and over 95 percent of its medications.

The conference aims to strengthen regional capacity in biotechnology and pharmaceutical research as well as production. Participants include experts in the healthcare sector, biopharma industry, academia, and civil society.

Other areas of discussion at the meeting include research and development as well as talent development, according to organizers.

In 2021, BioNTech biotechnology company signed deals with Rwanda and Senegalese Institut Pasteur de Dakar to set up manufacturing sites on the continent.

The first African mRNA manufacturing facility will be based on the BioNTainer concept, exact replications of the BioNTech factory in Germany.

The company also aims to develop plants in South Africa in close coordination with other partners to make vaccines for the continent. Enditem