The Gavi Board's approval of the Gavi Alliance's new five-year strategy (2026-2030), which focuses on accelerating vaccine coverage, introducing new vaccines, strengthening health systems for equity, and supporting global health security and regional vaccine manufacturing, has given Africa CDC impetus on its quest for local vaccine manufacturing.
On 20 June 2024, a high-level event co-hosted in Paris by the Government of France, the African Union, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, along with the support of Team Europe, launched the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA). This initiative will provide financial incentives to help vaccine manufacturers in Africa scale up production and become sustainable on a long-term basis.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, launched its replenishment campaign asking for $9 billion in new pledges, out of a total need of $11.9 billion, with $2.9 billion available in existing donor pledges, investment income, and leftover resources from the COVID-19 pandemic. Gavi has received $2.4 billion in new pledges, with $1.58 billion of that coming from the United States.
"Today is a great day for Africa, thanks to this event," said Dr. Jean Kaseya, Africa CDC Director General, at the event. "This financing will continue to reduce the gap and increase fairness and equity," he said. "We are launching AVMA today, which will allow us, between now and 2040, to produce 60% of our vaccines," Dr. Kaseya added.
He also announced that Africa will organize a launching ceremony of AVMA in Africa for African leaders, partners, non-governmental organizations, and community organizations.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to ensure regional diversification of vaccine manufacturing. A lack of local manufacturing capacity in Africa and other parts of the world meant that the African continent had to wait longer for vaccines to become available. "Our vision is not restricted to only producing vaccines locally but also covers the production of drugs, diagnostics, and other healing products," Dr. Kaseya said.
"With our Alliance on track to meet almost all of the goals we set for 2025, we need also to consider how we can accelerate our progress and broaden the protection we can provide to populations for the rest of this decade," said Professor José Manuel Barroso, Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. "As Gavi sets these ambitious goals, I am grateful for the leadership of France, the African Union, and Africa CDC as we make the case for investing in immunization and strengthening global health security."
Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the Global Forum for Vaccine Sovereignty and Innovation in Paris, France, the Africa CDC and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) renewed their partnership with a new cooperation agreement announced on 20 June. Through this collaboration, Afreximbank committed a USD 2 billion facility to the "Africa Health Security Investment Plan" to support the health product manufacturing ambition of the continent. This initiative will focus on the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM) and the Platform for Harmonized African Health Products Manufacturing (PHAHM). It also intends to complement GAVI's innovative financing mechanism, the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), which is set to provide up to USD 1 billion in financing to African manufacturers of health and pharmaceutical products over the next ten years.
