Four years ago, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention set the continent a goal of having 60% of its vaccines manufactured locally. This spoke to a broader desire for local production in reaction to the lack of access to COVID-19 vaccines the continent experienced during the pandemic.
At this year’s World Health Summit, African health leaders reiterated their commitment to the goal of local manufacturing — and not just for vaccines, but also therapeutics and diagnostics — and took stock of the progress they have made.
“The political will is not waning, it is increasing,” Africa CDC’s Shanelle Hall, said during a WHS panel.