Africa has made significant progress towards local vaccine and other health products manufacturing—securing funding for manufacturers, improving regulatory instruments and mobilising support to establish local markets—all key to advance health security and self-reliance on the continent.
The 2nd Vaccine and Other Health Products Manufacturing Forum in Cairo, convened by the Africa CDC, Gavi, the Regionalized Vaccine Manufacturing Collaborative, hosted by Egypt’s Unified Procurement Authority (UPA) on 4-6 February, heard.
Since the first Manufacturers’ Marketplace for Vaccine Manufacturing among African Union Member States held in Marrakesh, Morocco in 2023, the forum’s mandate has expanded to coordinate local manufacturing of not only vaccines, but other health products, medicines and diagnostics, said Dr Abebe Genetu Bayih, Coordinator for local manufacturing at Africa CDC. This year’s forum was meant to discuss progress and challenges that partners have faced, identify necessary adjustments and guide implementation.
“Africa CDC has made remarkable progress in 2024 in transforming the local manufacturing landscape,” said Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC.
During the 37th Assembly of the African Union in 2024, the Heads of State and Governments decided to upgrade the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) into the Platform for Harmonized African Health Products Manufacturing (PHAHM). “It means we are not just considering vaccines but all health products,” said Dr Kaseya.
The continent has witnessed important announcements and commitments from partners to ensure investments in the local manufacturing of health products in Africa. In June 2024, USD1.2 billion for the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) was launched. This innovative financing mechanism will be available over 10 years to accelerate the expansion of commercially viable vaccine manufacturing in Africa. Additionally, Afreximbank unveiled a USD 2 billion pledge in support of African Health Products Manufacturing in 2024.
The 37th AU Assembly decided to establish a Pooled Procurement Mechanism (PPM) with the support of the Afreximbank and UNECA to improve affordability, availability and equitable access to high-quality medical supplies across the continent.
On the sidelines of the 2nd Vaccines and other Health Products Manufacturing Forum, National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) from seven African countries-Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and Rwanda-signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement marks a significant milestone in strengthening regulatory systems across the continent by fostering collaboration and mutual reliance on regulatory decisions among signatory agencies while also creating an enabling environment for the local production of medical products. By streamlining approval processes, the MoU will ensure that Africa is better equipped to respond to public health emergencies and reduce dependence on international suppliers.
“It is fulfilling to see the commitment that the Heads of African NRAs have towards collaborating with a common goal of ensuring timely access to safe, quality and effective medical products in Africa,” said Dr Mimi Darko Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Food and Drugs Authority.
As we sign this MoU, we —the ML3 NRAs on the continent — commit ourselves to leading efforts toward a more harmonised regulatory landscape that strengthens local manufacturing and improves access,” he said.
In another first, the African Manufacturing Landscape survey showed that 574 manufacturers were active in Africa, and 25 of them were involved in producing vaccines.
The chairman of the Egyptian Unified Procurement Authority, Dr Hisham Stait, emphasised Africa’s growing commitment to self-sufficiency in manufacturing all health products to ensure equity and access. “The target is not just a strategic ambition but a reflection of our sheer determination to create a resilient healthcare system,” he said.
Dr Stait highlighted key initiatives, such as the African Union’s goal of producing 60% of Africa’s vaccine needs locally by 2040. “The journey toward self-sufficiency in vaccine and health products manufacturing is no longer a vision – it is a necessity inspired by the experience gained from the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
As a leading medical manufacturer, Egypt plays a central role in the ongoing transformation of production and procurement patterns on the continent, Dr Stait said. The country has nearly 20% of Africa’s vaccine manufacturing capacity and plans to produce 380 million doses annually by 2030.
He also highlighted the unprecedented funding commitments made to support Africa’s health manufacturing sector, noting over $5.5 billion in pledged investments. These commitments reflect global confidence in Africa’s capacity to produce high-quality health products, including vaccines. “We see value-based procurement as a catalyst for change,” he noted. “Our role extends beyond unified procurement; we foster economic growth, sustainability, and local industrial innovation.”
Dr Stait praised the launch of the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM), highlighting its transformative impact on market sustainability and demand certainty. By consolidating procurement across African nations, APPM enables manufacturers to scale production, advancing Africa’s self-sufficiency in vaccine and health product manufacturing.
“As we convene today, the world remains deeply divided. The unfolding mpox outbreak serves as a stark reminder that we have not progressed much since Covid-19 pandemic in terms of equitable access to essential health products,” said Dr Fredrick Kristensen, Managing Director of the Regionalized Vaccine Manufacturing Collaborative.
Dr Kristensen said that while mpox has killed more than 1,500 people, half a million children die from preventable diseases every year. Emerging and reemerging infectious diseases will continue to threaten Africa’s lives, livelihoods, economies, and society, but efforts to combat these problems are being complicated by climate change, risk of deliberate use of biological knowledge, and the spread of misinformation. “This forum is a collective drive towards countering some of these challenges,” he said.
Dr Kaseya said Africa continues to face outbreaks of mpox, cholera, Marburg, measles, and many others, as well as humanitarian crises such as the ongoing conflict in Eastern DRC, which could trigger widespread outbreaks.
According to the World Economic Forum, the African market for vaccines and medicines is valued at over USD 50 billion annually, yet the continent imports most of the healthcare products that it consumes. “We must reverse this trend,” said Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). “This meeting provides an opportunity to refine our strategy, our plan, and our vision for regional manufacturing of essential health products in Africa, particularly in light of policy documents that support our goal of producing 60% of Africa’s vaccines by 2040.”
South Africa’s Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Blade Nzimande, said a much broader infrastructure is needed to support local manufacturing, with insufficient technology transfer and a lack of partners among the gaps. He pointed to the need to invest in research and development, saying: “You cannot just rely on fill and finish.” Other prerequisites include accredited training, particularly strengthening vocational education, providing internships, and developing the capacity to run clinical trials.
“We are very supportive of a vibrant, sustainable commercial vaccine sector on the continent. Africa’s aspirations for self-sufficiency in vaccine manufacturing can only be achieved with African leadership, full commitment, and stronger capacity on the continent,” said Dr Sania Nishtar, Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Dr Nishtar said it will take a multisectoral effort, with governments creating the right policy environment for manufactures and investors to ensure the success of local vaccine manufacturing. She emphasised that governments must build the necessary capacity at the regulatory level, develop human resources, secure raw materials, sustain manufacturing and create appropriate demand in Africa. “When the next pandemic happens, we must make sure we are not at the end of the queue,” she said.
