The Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) and the Mastercard Foundation have announced a historic $45 million partnership named MADIBA (Manufacturing in Africa for Disease Immunization and Building Autonomy), a significant step towards achieving vaccine manufacturing autonomy in Africa. The multi-year project, aimed at developing and building a world-class workforce to support vaccine manufacturing, will establish a Centre of Training Excellence to equip talented young people, particularly young women, with specialized skills in vaccine research, manufacturing, production, and distribution.
Based in Senegal, MADIBA aligns with the "Plan Sénégal Émergent" (Emerging Senegal Plan) to manufacture half of the country's pharmaceutical products by 2035 as well as the African Union's ambitious target to fulfill 60 percent of the continent's vaccine needs by 2040. As a blueprint for future vaccine manufacturing facilities across Africa, MADIBA marks a crucial first step towards vaccine self-sufficiency in Africa.
In February 2023, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) launched the Regional Capability and Capacity Centre Network (RCCCN), focusing on talent development for manufacturing and research, and selected IPD as its inaugural centre.
"Between 9,000 and 14,000 full-time employees will be needed across vaccine manufacturing and research roles across Africa by 2040. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the African Union together have called for a New Public Health Order which will safeguard the health and economic security of the continent as it strives to meet the aspirations of the Agenda 2063. A key pillar of this vision seeks to expand the local manufacture of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics. Presently, less than one percent of vaccines administered on the continent are manufactured locally. This places a great financial burden on the health systems of African countries and reduces their ability to respond to pandemics and other health crises," states Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC.
Through the MADIBA project, IPD will develop a specialized training curriculum for the African continent. This aims to train cohorts of talented young Africans from all over the continent, with a goal of enrolling 40 percent, female. It will also incorporate key ecosystem actors such as world-top experts, universities, and manufacturers to address the development of the requisite skills required for highly specialized functions, including vaccine production, quality assurance, supply chain, procurement, and clinical trials. Graduates of the MADIBA training program will help drive the success of other manufacturing facilities, contributing to a multiplier effect and transformation of vaccine manufacturing capabilities on the continent.
"This partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and IPD will enhance human capital development for biomanufacturing in Africa. The project is a crucial pillar for vaccine equity and autonomy and a significant driver for high-skilled job creation among young and female Africans. We aim to train a workforce for MADIBA and other African vaccine manufacturers, develop partnerships with African universities and promote science education among young students. We extend our gratitude to the Mastercard Foundation for investing in our mission to accelerate equitable and sustainable access to health in Africa along with other financial and technical partners of the MADIBA project," said Amadou Sall, the CEO of IPD.
"This partnership builds on the game-changing intent of the Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative. That is, to keep everyone safe by rolling out COVID-19 vaccinations while ensuring Africa's long-term health security by building vaccine manufacturing expertise and workforce on the continent. In the process, our collaboration will also benefit the livelihoods of young people in Africa." said Reeta Roy, President, and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation.
The partnership between the IPD and the Mastercard Foundation will accelerate the development of a formally trained workforce in Africa to support vaccine manufacturing projects on the continent. This partnership also aligns with the Foundation's Young Africa Works strategy to enable 30 million young people, particularly young women, to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.
About the Institut Pasteur de Dakar
IPD is a Senegalese not-for-profit foundation working to advance equitable access to health in Africa, especially in Senegal. We do this by providing communities with Healthcare Solutions and Laboratory services, engaging in cutting-edge Biomedical Research and Innovation, manufacturing Vaccines and Diagnostics essential to African populations, developing Human Capital, and engaging in Public Health activities such as epidemic intelligence, outbreak response, and surveillance. In a unique and innovative way, IPD brings together key capabilities and functions to address public health challenges in Africa. IPD plays an important regional role through its various specialized reference laboratories and its partnership with WHO in the fight against infectious diseases. IPD is one of the four WHO prequalified manufacturers to supply yellow fever vaccines to UN Agencies.
Visit www.pasteur.sn & Follow IPD via @PasteurDakar
About the Mastercard Foundation
The Mastercard Foundation is a Canadian Foundation and one of the world's largest foundations, with a mission to advance education and financial inclusion. It works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. The Foundation was established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company. The Foundation is an independent organization and separate from the company. Its policies, operations, and programs are determined by the Foundation's Board of Directors and leadership.
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For more information on the Foundation, please visit www.mastercardfdn.org.
For more information on the Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative, please visit https://mastercardfdn.org/faq-saving-lives-and-livelihoods/
For further information, please contact:
Diama Diop DIA
Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD), Senior Communication Manager
Nonye Mpho Omotola
Mastercard Foundation Head of Health, Program Communications, Human Capital Development
