GENEVA, Switzerland, 20 May 2026 — Amid growing global momentum to strengthen pandemic preparedness and reduce dependence on concentrated vaccine supply chains, ministers, global health leaders, development partners, and vaccine manufacturing experts convened during the 79th World Health Assembly for a high-level official side event focused on advancing biomanufacturing self-reliance and building sustainable vaccine ecosystems in low- and middle-income countries.

The event, titled “Call to Action for Advancing Biomanufacturing Self-Reliance: From Policy to Practice in Local Manufacturing,” was co-organized by the Republic of the Philippines, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Korea, and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI). The gathering brought together World Health Organization Member States and key stakeholders to exchange practical experiences, policy insights, and collaborative approaches for building resilient end-to-end vaccine ecosystems.

Held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva during the World Health Assembly, the event highlighted growing efforts to translate commitments under the Pandemic Agreement into sustainable national and regional capacity for vaccine research and development, biomanufacturing, regulatory strengthening, and equitable access.

Opening remarks were delivered by Hon. Teodoro Javier Herbosa, Secretary of Health, Republic of the Philippines, and Dr. Nazila Ganatra, Director of the Directorate of Health Products and Technologies speaking on behalf of Hon. Aden Bare Duale, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health, Republic of Kenya.

Hon. Teodoro Javier Herbosa, Secretary of Health of the Republic of the Philippines, said, “The lessons of the recent past have taught us that health security is inseparable from global stability, and resilience can only be achieved when countries are empowered not just to receive solutions, but to help shape them…through the development of sustainable, national-level ecosystems of innovation, biomanufacturing, training and regulation. We have moved beyond the era where vaccine equity was treated as a charitable afterthought. Today, we recognize it as a fundamental requirement for a stable world.”

Dr. Jerome H. Kim, Director General of the International Vaccine Institute, delivered a keynote presentation introducing the BRIGHT Fund, a Global South-led financing platform for health innovation, and said, “Building sustainable vaccine ecosystems requires more than manufacturing capacity alone. Countries and regions must strengthen the full continuum of innovation, clinical development, regulatory readiness, workforce development, and financing. Innovative financing mechanisms like the BRIGHT Fund will be critical to advancing locally driven solutions and strengthening regional health security.”

Representatives from the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and Kenya shared national perspectives on advancing vaccine and biomanufacturing capacity. Speakers included:

• Hoon Sang Lee, Chief Strategy Officer, RIGHT Foundation
• Ana Liza P. Hombrado-Duran, Director IV, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Philippines
• Wesley Ronoh, CEO, Kenya BioVax Institute

A panel discussion moderated by Dr. Sushant Sahastrabuddhe, Associate Director General at IVI, explored effective partnership models and lessons for scaling vaccine manufacturing ecosystems across regions. Panelists included:

• Priscila Ferraz Soares, Global Coalition for Local and Regional Production, Innovation and Equitable Access
• Rajinder Suri, CEO, Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN)
• Michael Lusiola, Director, Regionalized Vaccine Manufacturing Collaborative (RVMC)
• Nafisa Jiwani, Director, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)

The discussions reinforced the growing recognition that vaccine self-reliance is central to pandemic preparedness, health equity, and resilient health systems. Participants emphasized that Global South-led collaboration and stronger regional partnerships will be critical to expanding equitable access to vaccines and other medical countermeasures. The side event concluded with a call for sustained political commitment, coordinated financing, and cross-sector collaboration to strengthen local manufacturing and preparedness capacities.

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About the International Vaccine Institute

The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is an independent international organization originally established at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme in 1997. Its mission is to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines—empowering vaccine equity, impact, and sustainability globally.

IVI’s current portfolio includes vaccines in multiple stages of pre-clinical and clinical development targeting infectious diseases that significantly impact low- and middle-income countries, including cholera, typhoid fever, chikungunya, shigellosis, salmonellosis, schistosomiasis, hepatitis E, HPV- and group A strep-related diseases, and COVID-19. IVI developed the world’s first low-cost oral cholera vaccine and a new-generation typhoid conjugate vaccine, both pre-qualified by the World Health Organization (WHO).

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 Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ethiopia, Nepal, and Madagascar. 43 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.

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Contact
Kevin Keen, Head of Communications
kevin.keen@www.ivi.int