In a move to accelerate Africa’s capacity to produce its own vaccines and other health products, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has established Regional Capability and Capacity Networks (RCCNs) to drive skills development, workforce training and R&D.
Africa has set an ambitious goal of manufacturing a significant portion of its vaccine locally by 2040. This drive has gained momentum through key decisions made by the African Union Heads of State and Government, including broadening the Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) mandate to include the manufacturing of medicines, diagnostics, and other health products, as well as establishing a Pooled Procurement Mechanism (PPM) for medical products from African manufacturers.
Since then, the continent has achieved key milestones, including the establishment of the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) – a financing initiative designed to unlock up to $1.2 billion over a decade – and commitments exceeding $3.5 billion from global donors and development finance institutions. Notably, the Cairo-based Afreximbank has pledged $2 billion to boost Africa’s health product manufacturing sector.
A recent survey by Africa CDC on Africa’s manufacturing landscape identified 574 manufacturers across the continent, including 25 dedicated to vaccine production – 10 of which already have installed capacity. Between 2025 and 2030, three African vaccine manufacturers are expected to produce and secure World Health Organization (WHO) Prequalification for eight vaccines to supply the continental market and beyond.
The RCCN Secretariats were officially launched on the sidelines of the 2nd Vaccines and Other Health Products Manufacturing Forum for African Union Member States, held in Cairo from 4–6 February 2025.
In his keynote address, Africa CDC Director General, Dr, Jean Kaseya, hailed the initiative, describing it as a game-changer for workforce development in biomanufacturing. This announcement marked the completion of a rigorous selection process to identify leading institutions that will coordinate efforts in each region:
- North Africa: Institut Pasteur du Maroc (IPM) in Morocco and The Unified Procurement Authority (UPA) in Egypt
- East Africa: Africa Biomanufacturing Institute (ABI) in Rwanda
- West Africa: Institut Pasteur de Dakar in Senegal
- Southern Africa: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa
The initiative was launched in early 2024 with an open call for proposals, inviting applications from institutions across the African Union regions. A panel of independent experts conducted reviewed applications, interviewed shortlisted candidates, and selected institutions based on their technical expertise, training capacity, and potential for regional impact.
The RCCNs will play a critical role in addressing one of Africa’s biggest bottlenecks: the shortage of skilled professionals in biomanufacturing, research and development (R&D), and regulatory affairs. These networks will connect training institutions, manufacturers, R&D organisations, and national regulatory authorities to establish structured, sustainable training programs and initiatives that advance Africa’s health products manufacturing sector.
One of the major hurdles has been the lack of hands-on learning opportunities, such as internships and structured workplace learning, making it difficult to build a steady pipeline of skilled professionals to sustain Africa’s vaccine industry. Expanding training in biomanufacturing, R&D and regulatory affairs—aligned with Africa CDC’s Vaccine R&D and Vaccine Manufacturing Competency Frameworks—will be central to the RCCNs’ efforts.
According to Dr Chiluba Mwila, Talent Development Lead for Africa CDC’s Platform for Harmonised African Health Manufacturing (PHAHM), the continent needs to quadruple its current 3,000 vaccine manufacturing and full-time R&D employees to meet its bold goal of manufacturing 60% of its vaccines locally.
“Africa faces three main challenges in its effort to develop the required workforce: insufficient relevant educational programmes, brain drain, and fragmented funding,” said Dr Mwila. “Our strategy directly addresses these challenges to ensure we produce a world-class workforce that can support the vaccine manufacturing ecosystem.”
However, addressing the skills gap requires a systematic approach to workforce training- one that not only focuses on technical expertise but also integrates sustainable business and operational models. Dr Abebe Genetu Bayih, PHAHM Coordinator, emphasized: “Our goal is to create an enabling environment where Africa CDC and its partners can support training and workforce development initiatives in a coordinated and sustainable manner.”
Beyond technical expertise, the RCCNs will also foster collaboration between research institutions and industry players, ensuring that Africa’s vaccine ecosystem is not only well-trained but also innovative and globally competitive. With the RCCNs now in place, Africa CDC will focus on operationalising the networks, strengthening institutional capacity, and scaling up training programmes. This marks a significant step toward building a self-sufficient, highly skilled workforce capable of driving Africa’s vaccine and health products manufacturing ambitions.
