Taking Stock of Four Years of Support to Vaccine Production on the African Continent

The African continent has long relied on external sources for vaccines, limiting access and leaving the continent vulnerable to global health crisis like COVID-19. The pandemic underscored these challenges, leading African leaders to launch the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) in 2021 with the goal of producing 60% of the continent's vaccine needs by 2040. In February 2024, the African Union General Assembly expanded PAVMs mandate to promote the production of all types of health products, leading to the renaming of PAVM to the Platform for Harmonized African Health Product Manufacturing (PHAHM). While significant strides have been made in expanding local production, ensuring long-term sustainability remains a challenge. Scaling efforts, closing gaps, and coordinating investments will be critical to success in light of severe budget constraints for international donors. With many new projects emerging, the risk of duplication in some areas and underinvestment in others underscores the need for strategic planning and collaboration.

The session will open with a keynote by Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), taking stock and reflecting on key achievements of the past two years towards the African Union’s goal. A panel of experts from the public and private sectors will then explore:

- Progress in strengthening local vaccine manufacturing.
- Key challenges in ensuring long-term sustainability.
- The role of public-private collaboration in driving growth.

By reflecting on past efforts and identifying key opportunities, this discussion will provide a forward-looking perspective on how to strengthen Africa’s capacity for vaccine production, with a specific focus on talent development.