IVI held an opening ceremony at headquarters in Seoul on October 30, 2023, to kickstart Hands-on Training for Upstream Process in Vaccine Manufacturing in partnership with KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) and Korea Biopharmaceutical CMO (K-Bio CMO). Credit: IVI
October 30, 2023 – SEOUL, Republic of Korea – The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) has partnered with KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) and Korea Biopharmaceutical CMO (K-Bio CMO) to train African vaccine manufacturing industry workers on all aspects of the upstream production process. IVI held an opening ceremony today at headquarters in Seoul and will conduct the didactic component of the training from October 30 to November 10, 2023.
In a joint effort to expand technical know-how and strengthen capabilities in vaccine research, development, and manufacturing, KWTRP is supporting apprenticeships for 20 technicians, engineers, scientists, and managers from 8 different African countries, namely Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, to attend this training in Korea. Following the didactic component at IVI, the apprentices will transfer to Andong, Korea for a 4-week hands-on segment at K-Bio CMO.
Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of IVI, said: “Global vaccine manufacturing is concentrated in certain regions, which hindered equitable access to vaccines during the pandemic. The world must significantly expand capabilities for local and regional manufacturing of biological products to resolve this global health inequity, and we recognize the growing need for training, particularly in advanced industrial settings. You are all at the forefront of local vaccine development and biomanufacturing in and for African countries, and I hope you find this training inspiring, informative and useful.”
By the end of the 6-week Hands-on Training for Upstream Process in Vaccine Manufacturing, apprentices are expected to be able to transition from the preclinical vaccine R&D phase to small scale production in their home facilities. Additionally, the training will emphasize quality control from inception to product.
This training comes during a time of heightened interest and investment in workforce training to strengthen biological manufacturing capacity across Africa. With a skilled and experienced workforce operating self-sufficient and sustainable vaccine ecosystems, the region will be better equipped to respond to outbreaks and pandemics, as well as to participate in bilateral technology transfers and produce health products attuned to local needs.
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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 is currently under assessment for WHO PQ.
IVI is headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea with a Europe Regional Office in Sweden and Collaborating Centers in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Madagascar. 39 countries and the WHO are members of IVI, and the governments of the Republic of Korea, Sweden, India, Finland, and Thailand provide state funding. For more information, please visit https://www.ivi.int.