A consortium of nine development and finance institutions has partnered with South African pharmaceutical company Biovac to expand its COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capacity.

According to the AfDB, which is a member of the consortium of funders, Biovac aims to expand its manufacturing capacity initially through its current activities related to the production of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine and, subsequently, for other vaccines too. The AfDB adds that ‘to realise the expansion and increased local vaccine manufacturing capacity on the African continent, Biovac will need to raise around US$150 million’.

The AfDB has developed a 2030 Pharmaceutical Action Plan/Continental Vision for Africa, says AfDB group president Akinwumi Adesina. ‘We aim to increase the local production of pharmaceuticals to 70% by 2030, and of vaccines to 60% by 2040.’

15 March 2022
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