At a WHO Regional Committee meeting, African health ministers and global partners pledged to accelerate local production of medicines and vaccines. Currently, Africa produces less than 1% of its consumed vaccines, making it vulnerable to supply disruptions and inequity.
Leaders committed to increasing domestic investment, expanding clinical trial capacity, and implementing a new regional framework for 2025–2035. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed these vulnerabilities but also strengthened the resolve for self-sufficiency, with a goal for Africa to produce 60% of its vaccines by 2040.The initiative is supported by partners including Gavi, Unitaid, and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI). They emphasized that local production is both a health imperative and a driver of economic resilience. Key programmes highlighted include Gavi’s new “Leap” strategy to empower countries and IVI’s ACHIEVE 2.0 initiative to fund end-to-end vaccine development and production in Africa.
Unitaid also announced a $50 million commitment to boost diagnostics and therapeutics manufacturing. The event concluded with renewed pledges for policy support, community engagement, and a collaborative framework to strengthen production across the continent.
