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The inauguration of the first site of the German company held on December 18, was attended, among others, by heads of state of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, Ghana, Nana Akuffo Adod, and African Union chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat
The German biotechnology firm BioNTech seeks to set up its first vaccine production hub on the continent in Rwanda aiming to boost access to mRNA jabs in Africa. The inauguration of the German company’s first site, held on December 18, was attended by heads of state of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, Ghana, Nana Akuffo Adod, and African Union chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat.
The pharmaceutical company said it had set up a production unit to make vaccines for protection against various diseases in Africa. The co-founder and CEO of BioNTech Ugur Sahin said that it was committed to contributing to building a sustainable, resilient vaccine ecosystem in Africa. He remarked that potential future vaccines need to be produced in Africa, for Africa, addressing regional needs and global standards.
The US$150-million project marks a multi-agency attempt to avoid a repeat of the global distribution of vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic flaws which saw regions like Europe be prioritized over countries of the global south. President Kagame hailed the game-changing milestone. He explained how Rwanda embarked on this journey to manufacture these vaccines on the continent.
Other important dignitaries, who attended the site launch were Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley and the European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen.
BioNtech expects to finish building the factory in 2024 and begin operations the following year. The company said it will employ about 100 local staff and train them in making a host of new vaccines using the latest mRNA technology. Rwanda will then distribute the vaccines to the 55-member African Union bloc. The Kigali facility is made from recycled shipping and sits on 35,000 square meters of land.
Africa’s first mRNA vaccine hub was launched in April in the South African city of Cape Town. Set up with the support of the World Health Organization, the Cape Town project is run by South African biopharmaceutical company Biovac, biotechnology firm Afrigen, and the South African Medical Research Council.
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The inauguration of the German company’s first site, held on December 18, was attended by heads of state of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, Ghana, Nana Akuffo Adod, and African Union chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. The hub has the potential to expand manufacturing capacity for other vaccines and products, such as insulin to treat diabetes, cancer medicines, and, potentially, vaccines for diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV.
