Africa Finally Gets a Chance to Produce Its own mRNA Vaccine

Thanks to the World Health Organization (WHO) and European partners, the African continent continues to receive support and necessary backing during this pandemic and beyond. WHO remains a solid partner for Africa and believes in the capabilities of our continent. Last year, some European pharmaceutical companies were unwilling to share their Covid-19 vaccine production technology with African countries.

The WHO stepped up and established its global Covid-19 messenger RNA (mRNA) technology transfer hub [1]. Their goal is to provide training and technology to manufacturers from low-and middle-income countries [1]. Technology transfer hubs are training facilities where the technology is established on an industrial scale and clinical development is performed [2]. Six African countries were chosen to produce the mRNA vaccines: Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia. And amongst these six countries, South Africa was chosen as a technology transfer hub in which African manufacturers will be trained for 6 months on how to produce the mRNA vaccines. Training begins in March 2022 [1].

mRNA is a new technology and also a complex process. Therefore, there is no room for errors. This is a long-term investment, and it is not just for Covid-19 but for all other major health problems that we face or might arise in the future. It is about time that we, Africans, fend for and protect ourselves. Even though we are in a pandemic situation, we saw how rich nations hoarded Covid-19 vaccines for their own citizens. The leaders of these wealthy nations prioritized their citizens first, and we cannot fault them for that.

The mRNA technology transfer hub in Africa will help strengthen production capacity, access to vaccines, and limit wastage of the Covid-19 vaccine. By the time most African countries received Covid-19 vaccines from donors, most were about to or had expired on arrival. My only concern now is that I hope some of these wealthy nations will accept and recognize the mRNA vaccines produced in Africa. I am not sure what criteria were used in choosing the selected African countries to manufacture the mRNA vaccine. Whatever the case, this is progress and a step in the right direction.

Africa is moving onward and upward from here on out.

References

1. WHO announces first technology recipients of mRNA vaccine hub with strong support from African and European partners. (2022). Retrieved 20 February 2022, from https://www.who.int/news/item/18-02-2022-who-announces-first-technology-recipients-of-mrna-vaccine-hub-with-strong-support-from-african-and-european-partners#:~:text=In%20June%202021%2C%20WHO%20announced,a%20South%20African%20vaccine%20producer

2. Balfour, H. (2022). COVID-19 mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub to be set up in Africa. Retrieved 20 February 2022, from https://www.europeanpharmaceuticalreview.com/news/157088/covid-19-mrna-vaccine-technology-transfer-hub-to-be-set-up-in-south-africa/

3. Image Cred: Unsplash