The European Union, six of its Member States (Belgium, France, Germany, Lithuania, Sweden and Austria) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) are collectively investing €40 million in a facility belonging to the German biotech company BioNTech for the local manufacturing of RNA-messenger vaccines in Rwanda.
The financial agreement was signed, on Monday 18 December in Kigali, by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagamé, at the inauguration of the manufacturing site, named ‘BioNTech Africa’.
The idea of this biopharmaceutical industry project in Rwanda “to manufacture vaccines on a large scale on the continent” had been launched by Ms von der Leyen and President Kagamé in 2021 (see EUROPE 12778/8), recalled the President of the Commission, stressing that this partnership was similar to the one concluded with Senegal, South Africa and Ghana (see EUROPE 13269/2, 12894/1).
“In just two years, these plants will be producing up to 50 million doses of mRNA vaccines a year against malaria, tuberculosis and, potentially, even cancer”, said a delighted Ms von der Leyen.
The Presidents of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, and Senegal, Macky Sall, the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, the President of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, and other representatives, including those of the EIB, were present at the inauguration.
This European investment aims to strengthen the regulatory framework and stimulate the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors in Rwanda, in particular by financing laboratory equipment, e-health technologies, training and vocational education, research and development (R&D), entrepreneurship and strengthening supply chains.
This new financial contribution brings the total support from the EU, its Member States, financial institutions and the private sector (‘Team Europe’) for local manufacturing and access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies in Rwanda to €93.7 million.
“We share technology and knowledge and we train the local workforce. We bring the support of the entire Team Europe, from public and financing institutions, and private sector investment. All this helps to create good, local jobs for Rwandans”, according to Ms von der Leyen.
Her bilateral talks with Paul Kagamé focused on health, which accounts for the largest share of the EU’s ‘Global Gateway’ investment strategy in Rwanda, but also on other areas, in particular the competitiveness of the food industry (€380 million invested) and future investment in value chains for essential raw materials, according to a Commission press release.
Of the €150 billion pledged to Africa up to 2027, the EU institution estimates that €900 million will be invested under the Global Gateway in Rwanda, relying on the leverage effect to mobilise private sector funds. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)