Lagos: Africa consumes nearly 25 percent of all globally produced vaccines, yet imports 99 percent of its vaccines and 90 percent of its medical supplies. This dependency became glaring during the COVID-19 pandemic, as export controls left Africa struggling for vaccine access, impacting its most vulnerable populations.
According to Global Voices, African heads of state launched the Saving Lives and Livelihoods (SLL) initiative in 2021, a USD 1.5 billion strategy aimed at vaccinating 70 percent of the continent’s population and fostering a health security transformation. Led by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and funded by the Mastercard Foundation, the initiative has delivered 35 million COVID-19 vaccine doses and expanded genomic sequencing labs across Africa.
Despite Africa bearing 25 percent of the global disease burden, less than three percent of global clinical trials occur on the continent. Dr. Alemayehu Duga of Africa CDC emphasized during a journalist workshop that clinical trials in Africa are crucial for developing vaccines tailored to African needs, strengthening safety surveillance networks, and improving real-time reporting on adverse events.
The SLL initiative, in its first phase, operated in 29 countries, achieving a 53 percent vaccination rate among target populations. However, African governments continue to face challenges in health funding, with most falling short of the Abuja Declaration’s commitment to allocate 15 percent of national budgets to health.
Countries like Rwanda and Morocco have made strides in pandemic preparedness and pharmaceutical production. Morocco is now a leading pharmaceutical producer in Africa, while Rwanda boasts over 90 percent immunization coverage for children.
Across Africa, 25 vaccine manufacturing projects are underway, and the African Medicines Agency is working to harmonize regulatory frameworks. The Africa CDC aims to support WHO prequalification of locally made vaccines by 2030, a critical step towards achieving vaccine sovereignty.
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored Africa’s vulnerability, with the continent contributing just 2 percent of global research output. In response, Gavi launched the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator with a USD 1.2 billion investment, while Afreximbank committed USD 2 billion to bolster health product manufacturing.
The second phase of the SLL initiative, supported by a USD 638 million investment, is set to further Africa’s vaccine manufacturing goals from August 2024 to December 2025.