August 27, 2025, LUSAKA, Zambia — The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen their strategic collaboration in support of vaccine equity, local production, and health innovation across the region.

Signed on the sidelines of the Seventy-fifth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, held in Lusaka, Zambia from 25 to 27 August 2025, the MoU reflects a shared commitment to strengthening regional capacity for vaccine research, development and manufacturing—critical pillars for health sovereignty and pandemic preparedness.

The MoU was signed by Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, and Dr Jerome H. Kim, Director General of IVI. It marks a new phase in efforts to expand access to life-saving vaccines and medicines for African populations.

“This MoU comes at a pivotal moment for Africa’s health future. By joining forces with IVI, we are investing in the continent’s capacity to produce vaccines locally, respond to emerging health threats, and reduce dependency on external supply chains. It’s a step toward equity, resilience, and self-reliance,” said Dr Janabi.

Dr Kim echoed the urgency and opportunity: “IVI is proud to partner with WHO to support Africa’s leadership in vaccine innovation. Together, we will advance clinical research, regulatory harmonization, and technology transfer to ensure that African countries are not just recipients of vaccines—but producers and innovators.”

The MoU outlines key areas of collaboration:

• Vaccine R&D and clinical trials: Supporting African-led research and development, with a focus on diseases of regional priority.
• Regulatory strengthening: Enhancing the capacity of national regulatory authorities and harmonizing standards across countries.
• Local manufacturing: Facilitating technology transfer and investment in regional production hubs.
• Workforce development: Building expertise in vaccinology, biomanufacturing, and regulatory science.
• Emergency preparedness: Strengthening joint responses to outbreaks and health emergencies through coordinated vaccine deployment.

The timing of the agreement is significant. As global health financing faces new constraints, regional partnerships such as the one between the WHO Regional Office for Africa and IVI are essential for sustaining progress and ensuring that Africa’s health priorities remain front and center.

The collaboration signals a bold step toward inclusive innovation and regional leadership in global health. It affirms the power of partnerships to deliver long-lasting impact—and to ensure that every person in Africa has access to the vaccines and medicines they need to thrive.

###

About the International Vaccine Institute (IVI)

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, 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