Rwanda will host the International Vaccine Institute's (IVI) Africa regional office, due to open in 2024, the Seoul-based organisation said on Tuesday, February 27.
Rwanda was confirmed by the IVI Board of Trustees following "detailed evaluation" of proposals from five African countries that had expressed interest in hosting the regional office, the IVI said in a joint statement with the Ministry of Health.
The development comes as the country has taken the lead in vaccine manufacturing by cooperating with German biotechnology company BioNTech.
In December 2023, Rwanda launched a BioNTech's first mRNA vaccine manufacturing plant in Africa.
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The Ministry said hosting the IVI regional office will be "an important milestone towards a fully resilient Africa through vaccine discovery and research and development (R&D)."
The international organisation, whose mission is to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines, said the Africa office will "particularly emphasize clinical trial training capacity while pursuing and facilitating joint grant applications with local partners to invigorate vaccine research, development, innovation, and collaboration in Rwanda and beyond."
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"This new office will play a pivotal role in providing on-the-ground support and leadership for IVI's work in Africa, increasing IVI engagement and coordination with African stakeholders, and establishing stronger partnerships around training for vaccine R&D, manufacturing, and policy," IVI Director General Dr Jerome Kim was quoted as saying.
"We look forward to joining the growing ecosystem of vaccine R&D partners on the continent and continuing our work with local and regional collaborators to support sustainable vaccine manufacturing," Dr Kim said.
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He added that IVI's regional office in Africa "found an excellent home in Kigali and we are proud to have the support of the Rwandan Ministry of Health and the University of Rwanda, which will be a critical technical partner."
Minister of Health Dr Sabin Nsanzimana said hosting the IVI Africa office added to other endeavours the Rwandan government has undertaken to advance its health sector and the production of critical medical products.
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"Rwanda is taking a leap in bridging the vaccine equity gap on the African continent by venturing into local production of vaccines, therapeutics and other life-saving medical products," Dr Nsanzimana was quoted as saying.
"Hosting the IVI Africa regional office is yet another milestone towards a resilient Africa with regard to potential public health emergencies and we are honored to serve as its host."
He said the Rwandan government was committed to the partnership with IVI and was looking forward to initiating similar collaborations in the future.
The establishment of the IVI Africa Regional Office reflects "a strategic focus on international expansion" with the aim of bolstering IVI's global health impact, the organisation said.
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As the administrative focal point in the region, the office will represent IVI in Africa, expanding its member base and engagement.
The IVI is a non-profit organisation, which was established in 1997 at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme.
Its current portfolio includes vaccines at all stages of pre-clinical and clinical development for infectious diseases that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries, such as cholera, typhoid, chikungunya, shigella, salmonella, schistosomiasis, hepatitis E, HPV, COVID-19.
With headquarters in the Korean capital, the IVI has a Europe regional office in Sweden, a country office in Austria, and collaborating centres in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Madagascar.
