$1.8bn bid for African vaccines

A new $US1.2bn ($1.8bn) program to boost vaccine production in Africa is intended to give the continent more sovereignty in fighting numerous diseases, including a cholera resurgence.

French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, with French Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Stephane Sejourne alongside, in Paris, on Thursday. Picture: pool/AFP

A new $US1.2bn ($1.8bn) program to massively boost vaccine production in Africa was launched on Thursday, aiming to give the continent more sovereignty to fight numerous diseases, including a cholera resurgence.

The announcement made at a Paris summit aimed in part to begin to address the huge gap in access to vaccines between wealthy and poorer countries that was seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

French President Emmanuel Macron told the summit the new African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator “will be an essential step towards a genuine African vaccine market”.

Three quarters of its funding will come from Europe, Mr Macron told the summit, which was also attended by leaders from Botswana, Rwanda, Senegal and Ghana. Germany will contribute $US318m to the scheme. France put in $US100m and the UK $US60m, while other donors include the US, Canada, Norway, Japan and the Gates Foundation.

The new program “could become a catalyst for promoting the pharmaceutical industry in Africa and fostering collaboration between member states”, African Union Commission chair Moussa Faki Mahamat told the summit. Africa imports “99 per cent of its vaccines at an exorbitant cost”, he added. The AUC has set the goal of the continent producing 60 per cent of its own vaccines by 2040.

AFP