Our next interview in the European Congress series is with Africa CDC’s Akhona Tshangela, who joined us at the event for sessions on vaccine manufacturing capacity from a global and an African perspective. We were thrilled that she had time to speak to us about her work and the goals that Africa CDC is setting for the future. We hope that you enjoy the interview!
Introducing Akhona
Akhona kindly gives us a detailed oversight of her role and background. She leads the local manufacturing focus within Africa CDC. As a “pioneer staff” of the Africa CDC, she has played “many different roles” in establishing different programmes and being a liaison officer for the Southern African region.
“I’m a field epidemiologist by training, with a human genetics background as well.”
She’s also South African!
Africa CDC’s vision
We asked Akhona to give us an insight into how her work on local manufacturing fits into Africa CDC’s vision for the continent. She reflects that the New Strategic Plan (2023 – 2027), the experience of COVID-19 and before, and the conclusions of UNGA77, emphasise the importance of taking “our own health issues for our own health security”.
“Expanding manufacturing is one of those components…or pillars, that has directed our Strategic Plan.”
With a representative, or “champion”, at African Union level, there is a political context, but it doesn’t stop there.
“The overall mission of local manufacturing is to ensure that we have health security and self-reliance for the continent.”
This is demonstrated in the ambition of moving from 1% of vaccines or health products being produced on the continent, to 60%, by 2040. Some of the strategic priorities within the “overall vaccine manufacturing ecosystem”, or even the health system, are to “really ensure that we have healthy markets” and “that we can scale up the capacities and capabilities on the continent”.
“Less than 2% of R&D is actually conducted on the continent, and so how do we scale that up and mobilise the right resources across the ecosystem to support manufacturing?”
Another focus is supporting infrastructure development, which is twofold: not just “hardcore infrastructure like electricity and water”, but also “soft infrastructure like trade policies”. These priorities should enable the continent to “rapidly respond” to pandemics and outbreaks, which fits into the “overall mandate of the Africa CDC”.
Akhona recalls the experience of COVID-19 as an example of the importance of local manufacturing: “we couldn’t get enough materials to share with our Member States”. From diagnostics to therapeutics, a local manufacturing emphasis will support the Africa CDC’s “overall goal” of supporting Member States as quickly as possible.
What are the key obstacles?
With so much energy and expertise directed at these efforts, what is getting in the way of instant success? In her answer to our question about the biggest obstacles, Akhona refers to the Framework for Action, within which both “bottlenecks and enablers” are identified. She shares some of the big questions that need to be asked, such as “how do we support our manufacturers” and “how do we support R&D”. One of the concerns she shares is about “talent development”.
“We only have like 3,000 full time employees on the continent; we need about 13,000 to 14,500 full time employees to be able to reach the goal of 60%.”
Furthermore, there are challenges in terms of “tech transfer and IP”. Manufacturers are “very ready” for fill and finish, but need tech transfers coming in. Next, Akhona reflects that “demand” is a key issue, so she and her team have been working “very tightly” with Member States to ensure that there is “demand certainty” for manufacturers.
“And of course the biggest discussion overall is regulatory harmonisation and ensuring that there’s regulatory strengthening.”
Luckily, Akhona already identifies this harmonisation on the continent and there is work in place to increase this.
“There are a number of challenges; I think we have a clear strategy that really fully defines how we’re actually going to be able to tackle each and every element of those.”
Empowered to flourish
A lot of what Akhona is discussing requires local and global collaboration, so we asked about what she might expect from the international vaccine community. She identifies “30 plus” initiatives, like BioNTech’s support in Rwanda, in support of growth.
“That kind of support and being able to build the capacity and capabilities that the continent actually needs to be able to flourish is very key. But also making sure that we have the foundation.”
Another interesting perspective that Akhona offers is that “everything needs to be contextualised”. For example, “if I’m putting in AI on the continent, where would they get the baseline data?”, is an important consideration.
“I think really supporting the manufacturers as well as all the other key players across the vaccine manufacturing ecosystem, as well as regulators, researchers, is really identifying the foundational support systems that they need for them to actually be able to flourish.”
“So how do we also all act as microphones, and ambassadors and advocates…speaking to our governments, ensuring that there’s demand, and saying ‘well have preferential procurement of your African vaccine’…and then also support the regulatory part to be able to have continental regulatory harmonisation.”
“I think like really doing the proper training and building the right cadre that is needed, really will support overall manufacturing.”
Why WVC?
With all of our speakers our final question explores their reasons for joining us! For Akhona, she was glad to see the R&D focus and to explore the exhibition floor to uncover new innovations that have “flexibility” and “scalability”; these are crucial for “resource-limited” areas on the continent.
“There are some cost effective elements and innovative elements that could support us in terms of fast-tracking local manufacturing on the continent.”
We hope that it was a fruitful event in that regard!
We hope that you enjoyed the opportunity to learn more from another of our wonderful speakers; we are sure that you will join us in thanking Akhona and her team for facilitating the conversation. For more insights from our experts, don’t forget to subscribe here!
