In a bid to address vaccine inequality exposed by COVID-19, French President Emmanuel Macron and African leaders launched the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) on Thursday. This $1 billion project aims to bolster vaccine production capacity in Africa, making the continent less reliant on imports.
The initiative comes as Africa grapples with limited access to vaccines and treatments during the pandemic. Many leaders and advocacy groups criticized wealthier nations for stockpiling crucial resources, leaving Africa vulnerable. The AVMA seeks to rectify this by fostering a robust local vaccine manufacturing industry.
Prior to COVID-19, only South Africa possessed vaccine production capabilities in Africa. The AVMA aims to change this drastically. President Macron emphasized the ambitious goal: “Africa produces only 2% of the vaccines it uses, and the goal is to increase production to 60% by 2040.” France and the European Union have already pledged over €1.3 billion towards this goal.
The initiative aligns with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) broader efforts to strengthen global pandemic preparedness. While a proposed “pandemic treaty” failed to gain traction recently, negotiators are committed to finding solutions by 2025.
The project is spearheaded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Gavi plans to distribute $1 billion over ten years to support African vaccine manufacturers. This funding will be contingent on manufacturers meeting production and regulatory benchmarks. By incentivizing market forces, Gavi hopes to drive down vaccine prices and attract further investment.
The AVMA will also explore crucial issues like technology transfer from Western pharmaceutical companies and the establishment of a centralized African medicines agency. Streamlining regulations across the continent is another key focus area.
This ambitious initiative holds immense potential for Africa’s future health security. By empowering local production, the AVMA aims to make Africa self-sufficient in vaccine production and better equipped to face future health threats.
