Technology Transfer Critical to Revolutionizing Africa ’s Pharma Industry

BioNTainers, facilities equipped to manufacture a range of mRNA-based vaccines have been inaugurated in Rwanda in December 2023. Credit: Aimable Twahirwa/IPSBy Aimable TwahirwaKIGALI, Jan 8 2024 (IPS) An agreement signed between the Rwandan government and the Africa Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation (APTF) gives impetus to Africa’s domestic industry with the hope of helping the continent tackle vaccine inequity and fill the critical gap in vaccine manufacturing. The agreement to operationalize the foundation was signed in Kigali, Rwanda, in late 2023. What is important, according to stakeholders, is to focus efforts on building a resilient and self-reliant pharmaceutical industry for the continent. This became apparent during COVID-19, when, for example, COVAX, a multilateral mechanism for equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines, helped lower-income economies achieve two-dose coverage of 57 percent, compared to the global average of 67 percent. Both officials and scientists take delight in pointing out that the benefit of having such an initiative is to close the vaccine equity gap between African countries and the world’s developed nations. During the implementation phase, the African Development Bank (ADB) has committed to investing up to USD 3 billion over the next decade in the development of pharmaceutical products. The foundation, which is ready to hit the ground running in January 2024, will dedicate its core mandate to addressing some of the common chal...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Africa COVID-19 Development & Aid Featured Headlines Health Human Rights Sustainable Development Goals TerraViva United Nations IPS UN Bureau IPS UN Bureau Report Rwanda Source Type: news