Africa vaccine manufacturers to get WHO approval for eight vaccines from 2025 — Africa CDC

Africa’s push for vaccine self-sufficiency is gaining momentum, with three manufacturers on track to secure World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification for eight vaccines between 2025 and 2030, the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) stated on Wednesday.

According to an Africa CDC survey, there are currently 574 manufacturers across the continent, including 25 dedicated to vaccine production. Of these, 10 already have installed capacity. It noted that the next five years will be critical in scaling up production and securing regulatory approvals to meet global standards, but did not disclose the three manufacturers.

The Centre announced its newly established Regional Capability and Capacity Networks (RCCNs), aimed at addressing Africa’s critical skills gap in biomanufacturing and research, as part of the Centre’s broader strategy to reduce the continent’s reliance on imports.

Launched on the sidelines of the 2nd Vaccines and Other Health Products Manufacturing Forum in Cairo, the RCCNs are expected to play a central role in developing the workforce necessary to support Africa’s vaccine ambitions.

The initiative has identified key institutions to lead regional efforts including: Institut Pasteur du Maroc (Morocco) and The Unified Procurement Authority (Egypt); Africa Biomanufacturing Institute (Rwanda); Institut Pasteur de Dakar (Senegal); Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (South Africa).

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The Africa CDC stated that the RCCNs were selected through a rigorous process involving independent experts who assessed institutions based on technical expertise, training capacity, and regional impact potential.

Africa has set an ambitious target of producing 60% of its vaccines locally by 2040. The plan has received significant backing from African Union leaders, who have expanded the Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) mandate to include medicines, diagnostics, and other health products. A key component of this strategy is the Pooled Procurement Mechanism (PPM), designed to ensure a sustainable market for African-made medical products.

Africa’s vaccine manufacturing expansion has also attracted financial commitments. Global donors and development finance institutions have pledged more than $3.5 billion, while Afreximbank has committed $2 billion to strengthen Africa’s health product manufacturing sector.

Speaking at the Cairo forum, Jean Kaseya, Africa CDC Director General described the RCCNs as a “game-changer” for Africa’s biomanufacturing workforce.

One of the biggest challenges to Africa’s vaccine production ambitions is the shortage of skilled professionals in biomanufacturing, R&D, and regulatory affairs. The RCCNs aim to bridge this gap by establishing structured training programs and fostering collaboration between research institutions, manufacturers, and regulators.

Chiluba Mwila, Talent Development Lead for Africa CDC’s Platform for Harmonised African Health Manufacturing (PHAHM), estimates that Africa needs to quadruple its vaccine manufacturing workforce from 3,000 to 12,000 full-time employees to meet its production targets.

“Africa faces three main challenges: insufficient relevant educational programmes, brain drain, and fragmented funding. Our strategy addresses these issues by ensuring a steady pipeline of world-class professionals to sustain the vaccine ecosystem”, Mwila said.

With the RCCNs now operational, Africa CDC’s says its next steps include strengthening institutional capacity and scaling up training programs to build a competitive and innovative workforce.