Stephen Saad Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg | Read more on vaccines and drugs made in Africa: |
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Patents can take 20 years to expire and one measure to improve local manufacturing in the interim are so-called fill-and-finish agreements. These final steps of production, if done by a number of companies across the continent, can create many thousands of jobs for African pharmacists, biologists and innovators, he said. Aspen, which has 23 manufacturing plants, is gearing up its sterile facility to fill more vials in the southern South African city of Gqeberha.
More African governments are becoming engaged in ensuring there is uptake of what is produced locally, Nicolaou said. Also, international vaccine alliance Gavi will launch its African manufacturing accelerator for doses on June 20. This is designed to support the sustainable growth of Africa’s production base by making make as much as $1 billion available over the next 10 years.
“There is a risk of merely relying on Gavi, which may buy from Asia or wherever is cheaper,” he said. “But when it comes to vaccines at least, we are fairly confident we are able to compete on price, and with the Gavi top-up incentive, can track the Gavi market on the African continent.”