The International Vaccine Institute has officially opened its European Regional Office in Stockholm, Sweden, and celebrated the event on the 3rd of May with a scientific symposium and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event marked a historical milestone for IVI, as it is the first permanent IVI office outside South Korea, where the headquarters were opened in 1997. The event gathered Swedish government officials, representatives of academia, and various biotech and life science companies.

The symposium gave a rich overview of IVI’s work worldwide and offered vivid examples of how collaborative efforts can help combatting infectious diseases. Dr. Jerome Kim, IVI’s Director General, delivered a comprehensive overview of IVI’s 27 years of history and explained how the organization is present at each stage of the vaccine value chain, from fieldwork in developing countries and disease burden assessment, to vaccine research, manufacturing, capacity building and global health agenda-setting worldwide.

The Director of the European Regional Office in Stockholm, Dr. Anh Wartel, outlined the office’s key priorities and strategic plans to foster a network of collaborations in the European region and beyond. She also shared details about several projects that the European office is currently working on, among them: a vaccine against Group A Streptococcus and a Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) vaccine development.

Manki Song, Deputy General Director of IVI’s science unit, shared the IVI journey in South Korea, aiming for vaccine self-sufficiency following the last flu pandemic in 2009. This led to substantial investments in domestic vaccine research, development and manufacturing. By 2030, they will strive for 80% self-sufficiency in critical vaccines, a goal that is now close to impressive 50%.

The symposium concluded with a panel discussion about chikungunya, a viral mosquito-borne disease in tropical areas, which causes fever and severe joint pain. Dr. Christiane Gerke, Program Director at the IVI European Regional Office, chaired the panel. The experts on the panel included Dr. Sushant Sahastrabuddhe, Associate Director General at IVI, Dr. Gerald McInerney, Professor at Karolinska Institutet, and Mr. Kwasi Amfo, who represented the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). One of the main challenges of neglected diseases like chikungunya, according to Dr. Sushant Sahastrabuddhe, is the lack of a global funding mechanism for LMICs. The panel discussion focused on taking the chikungunya agenda forward and ensuring an adequate outbreak response in the countries that suffer most and often lack sufficient funding.

After the symposium, the audience gathered in front of the building at Berzelius väg, 8, where the new European Regional Office of IVI is located, and where the official ribboncutting ceremony took place. The ceremony featured Dr. Jerome Kim, IVI’s Director General, Dr. Anh Wartel, IVI’s Europe Regional Office Director, and Mrs. Diana Janse, State Secretary for International Development, Cooperation, and Foreign Trade.

The State Secretary Diana Janse provided opening remarks. “I am honoured to be part of this official opening of IVI’s office in Stockholm, Sweden.  It reflects the history Sweden and IVI have together, in our joint efforts to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines, which will help developing countries to be free from infectious diseases,” said Mrs. Janse. “IVI has managed to combine development cooperation with strong partnerships, with innovation, and put everything together in a neat package that resonates with how the Swedish government wants to promote global health issues,” – added the State Secretary Mrs. Janse.

After Diana Janse, Jerome Kim, IVI General Director, took the floor. He regarded Sweden as one of IVI’s ‘oldest, firmest, and most innovative partners in global health’. Talking about his expectations of IVI’s new permanent office in Europe, he said: ‘We hope that this new office will be the home for innovation, for integration of platforms and work that IVI does all over the world. We hope that the European office team, working with the government of Sweden, will be able to turn this into a successful venture, that will generate value not only for Sweden and Europe but also for the rest of the world,’

Sweden’s AMR Ambassador Malin Grape used the opportunity to highlight the importance of combating antimicrobial resistance and underscored cooperation with IVI. ‘IVI’s support, for example in capacity building and surveillance, benefits not only healthcare system strengthening and resilience but also supports countries to have the capacity to meet the challenge of AMR. – said Mrs. Grape.

After the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, the guests were invited to tour the new IVI’s office, which spans approximately 335 square meters. Currently, the office accommodates 11 staff and is anticipated to grow to 30-40 people in the upcoming two years.

CONTACT

Elena Krivovyaz, Europe Regional Office Communications Manager
+46 737 06 9966 | elena.krivovyaz@www.ivi.int