World leaders launch programme to boost vaccine production in Africa
Al Jazeera
Initiative announced in Paris will incentivise and offset start-up costs for vaccine manufacturing in the continent.
French President Emmanuel Macron has joined several African leaders to kick off a planned $1.1bn project to accelerate vaccine production in Africa, after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed inequalities in access to inoculation.
The launch of the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator at an event in Paris on Thursday will provide financial incentives to boost local vaccine manufacturing in the continent.
African Union Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat welcomed the initiative, saying that it “could become a catalyst for promoting the pharmaceutical industry in Africa and fostering collaboration between member states”.
Africa imports “99 percent of its vaccines at an exorbitant cost”, he said.
Macron said the programme “will be an essential step towards a genuine African vaccine market”.
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