• Rwandan Ministry of Health, African Medicines Agency (AMA), and International Vaccine Institute (IVI) mobilize efforts to scale vaccine production and access across the continent
• Sabin Nsanzimana, Minister of Health of Rwanda; Mrs. Frehiwot Abebe, State Minister of Health of Ethiopia; and Dr. Douglas Mombeshora, Minister of Health and Child Care of Zimbabwe, attended the side event

February 16, 2025, ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia  – With a strong commitment to vaccine self-sufficiency, African leaders resolve to intensify efforts to enhance vaccine production and access across the continent.

At a key side event at the 38^th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, hosted by the Rwandan Ministry of Health, the African Medicines Agency (AMA), and International Vaccine Institute (IVI), policymakers and industry experts convened to advance strategies for sustainable vaccine manufacturing, focusing on continent-wide approaches to regulation, distribution, and equitable access. The discussion underscored the urgent need to strengthen regulatory frameworks, enhance capacity-building, bolster manufacturing capabilities, and foster partnerships to secure Africa’s health future.

The side event was titled: Sustainable Access to Vaccines: Strengthening Regulatory Frameworks, Building Production Capacity, and the Importance of Partnerships in Achieving AU Priorities. In attendance were AU Ministers of Health, representatives from AMA (a specialized AU agency focused on medical product access) and other AU bodies, officials from development agencies and vaccine manufacturers, as well as public health experts.

The strategic dialogue outlined key steps toward achieving the AU’s vision for the New Public Health Order for Africa, a framework aimed at bolstering the self-sufficiency of African public health systems and enhancing the continent’s capacity for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Leaders highlighted the importance of harmonizing and streamlining vaccine regulations across nations to accelerate the development and approval of new vaccines. They also underscored the need for stronger public-private collaboration to support local vaccine production spanning from research and development to final distribution. In addition, discussions focused on building sustainable capacity through technology transfer and workforce development, thereby ensuring long-term self-sufficiency in vaccine manufacturing.

Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, Minister of Health of Rwanda, said: “The Government of Rwanda is committed to ensuring sustainable and equitable access to vaccines and medical products, as well as strengthening Africa’s capacity and autonomy in medical product production and regulation. As the host of the African Medicines Agency, we believe the continent is on the right path. This gathering provides another crucial platform to mobilize collective action toward a healthier Africa—one that has access to, and the ability to produce and regulate medical products.”

Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of the International Vaccine Institute, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the urgent need to strengthen Africa’s public health ecosystem and expand local production. We are honored to co-host this event with the Rwandan Ministry of Health and the African Medicines Agency, key partners in advancing the New Public Health Order for Africa. With an IVI Africa Regional Office based in Kigali and a country office based in Nairobi driving end-to-end vaccine R&D across the continent, IVI is committed to supporting Africa’s path to vaccine self-sufficiency and disease prevention.”

Dr. Benjamin Djoudalbaye, Head of the Interim Secretariat of the African Medicines Agency; Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of IVI; Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Interim Regional Director of WHO-AFRO; Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, Minister of Health of Rwanda; Mrs. Frehiwot Abebe, State Minister of Health of Ethiopia; and Dr. Serah Muteru, General Manager of Regulatory Affairs at Kenya BioVax Institute, offered opening remarks, followed by keynote addresses from Dr. Raji Tajudeen, Acting Deputy Director General and Head of the Division of Public Health Institutes and Research of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and Dr. Samir Machour, Chairman and CEO of Bio Investments Group.

Prof. Nicaise Ndembi, Deputy Director General of IVI and its Africa Regional Director, moderated a panel discussion with leading experts from global health, regulatory, and manufacturing sectors, including:

• Petro Terblanche, Chief Executive Officer, Afrigen
• Michael Makanga, Executive Director, Global Health EDCTP3
• John Gyapong, Secretary-General, African Research Universities Alliance
• Rogério Gaspar, Director of Regulation and Prequalification, WHO
• Mr. Intong Eric Monchu, Acting Group Managing Director, African Export-Import Bank
• Dr. Samir Machour, Chairman and CEO of Bio Investments Group

Dr. Douglas Shaffer, Deputy Director General of IVI, summarized the discussion, emphasizing the growing momentum across sectors toward sustainable healthcare and vaccine self-sufficiency in Africa, ensuring a healthier future for generations.

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About the International Vaccine Institute (IVI)
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is a non-profit international organization established in 1997 at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme with a mission to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global health.

IVI’s current portfolio includes vaccines at all stages of pre-clinical and clinical development for infectious diseases that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries, such as cholera, typhoid, chikungunya, shigella, salmonella, schistosomiasis, hepatitis E, HPV, COVID-19, and more. IVI developed the world’s first low-cost oral cholera vaccine, pre-qualified by the World Health Organization (WHO), and developed a new-generation typhoid conjugate vaccine that also achieved WHO prequalification in early 2024.

IVI is headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea with a Europe Regional Office in Sweden, an Africa Regional Office in Rwanda, a Country Office in Austria, and a Country and Project Office in Kenya. IVI additionally co-founded the Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute in Hong Kong and hosts Collaborating Centers in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Madagascar. 42 countries and the WHO are members of IVI, and the governments of the Republic of Korea, Sweden, India, Finland, Austria, and Thailand provide state funding. For more information, please visit https://www.ivi.int.

CONTACT

Aerie Em, Global Communications & Advocacy Manager
+82 2 881 1386 | aerie.em@www.ivi.int