BRUSSELS. On the sidelines of the European Union-African Union summit, the World Health Organization announced the first six countries that will receive the technology necessary for the production of mRNA vaccines on the African continent. Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia all applied and were selected as beneficiaries.
The mRna global technology transfer hub – writes the European Council in a note – was established in 2021 to support producers in low- and middle-income countries in the production of their vaccines. In Africa, technology transfer will take place through a center of excellence and training – the ‘mRna vaccine technology hub’ in Afrigen, Cape Town, South Africa, together with a network of technology recipients. In particular, this technology hub in Afrigen will share techniques with local producers and the WHO. In addition, the partners will provide training and financial support to build the human capital needed for manufacturing know-how, quality control and product regulation and assist, where necessary, with the necessary licenses.
The initiative aims to develop a global public good in international health security, while contributing locally to economic development, job creation and the research and innovation agenda. Depending on the infrastructure, clinical research and regulatory capacity in place and the available workforce, WHO and its partners will work with beneficiary countries to develop a roadmap, as well as put in place the necessary training and support. This will help ensure that vaccine production can begin as soon as possible. Speaking at the event, President Michel said: “You can count on the EU to ensure that Africa can be a continent that develops strategic production capacity in the health and vaccine sectors.”
The WHO mRNA technology transfer hub – writes the European Council – is part of a broader initiative aimed at enabling low- and middle-income countries to produce their own vaccines, medicines and diagnostic tools to deal with emergencies and provide universal health coverage. The initial effort focuses on mRna technologies and organic products. These are important for the production of vaccines and can also be used for other products, such as insulin for the treatment of diabetes, cancer medicines and, potentially, vaccines for other priority diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV. . The ultimate goal is to extend capacity building in terms of national and regional production to all health technologies.
Team Europe is the main contributor to this initiative. Team Europe is also the world‘s largest donor and exporter of vaccines. It has actively helped ensure a broader global response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Guided by the principles of solidarity and multilateralism, EU member states have provided support to partners around the world and secured significant funding to counter the disruptive consequences of the pandemic on a global scale. In addition, the EU aims to donate 700 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine by mid-2022.