In January 2023 CEPI and the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) announced a 10-year partnership to “advance equitable access to vaccines in Africa” and “contribute to the African Union’s goal of increasing African manufacturers’ share of vaccine supply to the continent to 60% by 2040”. This collaboration will encourage the manufacturing of affordable vaccines at IPD’s facilities in Dakar.
CEPI’s vaccine plans
“CEPI is creating a new network of vaccine manufacturers in Global South countries to substantially increase the world’s capacity and capability to produce vaccines against emerging outbreaks and pandemic threats.”
IPD will be incorporated into this network with its ambition to become a “regional manufacturing hub making vaccines in Africa, for Africa, through Project Madiba”. It will receive up to $15 million in grant funding over 3 years, with the option to extend the partnership to a total of “up to $50 million over 10 years”.
Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, hopes to “support agile and resilient manufacturing capacity and capability” with a view to responding to the “threat of new disease outbreaks”. He sees IPD as a “crucial partner in [the] global manufacturing network”.
“Historically, a handful of countries and regions have dominated access to global vaccine supply. This needs to change if the world is to stand a chance of mounting rapid, equitable responses to future outbreak and pandemic threats.”
IPD in Africa
Dr Amadou Alpha Sall, IPD’s CEO, welcome the partnership that “will build on the foundational investments made by many financial, technical, and philanthropic partners”.
“The commitment to collaborate for 10 years through this agreement will provide a dedicated and autonomous capacity for future outbreaks, pandemics, and essential immunisations programmes”.
IPD is “thrilled to deepen” its partnership with CEPI and anticipates “deploying the latest technology for the greatest need” with this support. Dr Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, Acting Director of the Africa CDC, is “convinced that Africa cannot effectively control disease outbreaks without reliable access to health products including vaccines”. Furthermore, “local production” enables the continent to “quickly respond to any disease threat using local capacity”.
“This agreement between CEPI and IPD fits with the Africa CDC’s vision of a New Public Health Order with the key pillar of Local Production. We shall continue to support such initiatives which benefit the continent. Africa must produce its own health products as a matter of continental security.”
For more on access initiatives to promote local production, come to the World Vaccine Congress in Washington in April.
