The EU, its Member States, and European development finance institutions are ready to invest €1 billion to strengthen Africa’s vaccine production capacity against Covid-19 and access to vaccines, medicines, and health technologies, according to the initiative announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the Global Health Summit in Rome on 21 May (see EUROPE 12724/5).
Through this initiative, the EU “will support Africa with over €1 billion and expertise to help develop its own pharmaceutical, biotech and medtech industries, and ease equitable access to quality and safe products and technologies”, according to Ms von der Leyen. The €1 billion will come from the EU budget and the EIB.
On the supply side, the initiative will encourage investment in local pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. To this end, the Commission and the EIB have announced the creation of a coordination platform for European development banks to facilitate investment.
The initiative will support technology transfer and develop regional manufacturing centres, in agreement with the African Union and the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
In a statement, the Commission says it is “already actively involved in promising projects” in South Africa, Senegal, Egypt, Morocco, and Rwanda.
On the demand side, it will work with African leaders and communities to promote the integration of local markets. The initiative “will help consolidate demand, facilitate market integration, and the use of locally produced goods”. It will invest in skills and education, increase African research capacity, and strengthen scientific cooperation between the EU and Africa.
It will also tackle the problem of falsified products and strengthen regulatory frameworks. “In this context, the future African Medicines Agency (AMA) can count on the European Medicines Agency”, says the Commission.
Announcements will be made at the EU-African Union summit. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)