The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has revealed that Africa is working with the European Union and other partners to help create regional vaccine manufacturing hubs with Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal, and Rwanda.
The Director-General of the WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Monday during a virtual meeting said; ‘We have now seen that over-centralization of vaccine production capacity is incompatible with equitable access in a crisis situation.’
She further said; ‘Regional production hubs, in tandem with open supply chains, offer a more promising path to preparedness for future health crisis.’
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This is coming on the heels of the revelation that the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA), in partnership with the Igbinedion University, Okada, has launched a task team for the manufacture of vaccines in the continent.
CoDA is an independent international initiative of the African Union, African Development Bank (AfDB), African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
Speaking during the launch of the task team in Okada, Edo State, on Monday, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President of Nigeria and Chair of the Board of Directors, CoDA, explained that the initiative has the potential to positively change the vaccine and vaccination landscape across the continent.
‘If we carefully nurture the initiative through to maturity, we would have laid a good foundation for a healthier Africa using, largely, resources from within the continent.
‘Through initiatives like this one, Africa will be able to encourage and retain its talents and support them in finding solutions to its age-long healthcare challenges,’ he said.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK