Amref Health Criticizes Paris Launch of African Vaccine Initiative, Calls for African Venue
Amref Health Africa has criticized the decision to hold the launch of the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) initiative in Paris instead of on the African continent, calling it a missed opportunity for Africa.
The initiative, co-hosted by France, the African Union, and Gavi, aims to explore and enhance Africa’s vaccine manufacturing capabilities.
Speaking at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Dr. Githinji Gitahi of Amref Health Africa emphasized that Africa is working to improve its vaccine manufacturing and that hosting the launch on African soil would demonstrate the continent’s ownership and leadership in this effort.
A statement by Maureen Cherongis, Amref Health Africa’s Media and External Relations Officer|quoted Dr Gitahi as saying that hosting the event on African soil would ”promote localisation and send a clear message that Africa is not merely a beneficiary but a leader in its health future.”
“We have to realize that the community is where the power is based. To serve the communities better, we must shift our mindset and give up our power. That is the challenge of localization: surrendering power makes us feel vulnerable and uncomfortable.”
He noted that the ”AVMA in Africa would facilitate greater local engagement from stakeholders across the continent, including governments, health officials, manufacturers, scientists, civil society organizations, and the private sector and encourage robust collaborations relevant to Africa’s unique challenges and opportunities”.
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Dr Gitahi pointed out that Africa’s vaccine manufacturing capability is evidently advancing, given the significant milestones in pharmaceuticals in the continent such as South Africa’s Biovac Institute which produces and distributes vaccines, the Institut Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal, renowned for its yellow fever vaccine production and Egypt’s Vacsera which is expanding its facilities to increase vaccine production capacity.
He noted that the local initiatives exemplify Africa’s commitment to building a resilient, self-sufficient vaccine supply chain, ensuring better health outcomes and fostering economic growth across the continent.
”Launching the AVMA in Africa would facilitate greater local engagement from stakeholders across the continent, including governments, health officials, manufacturers, scientists, civil society organizations, and the private sector. By being more accessible, it would encourage robust discussions and collaborations directly relevant to Africa’s unique challenges and opportunities.
”Such discussions would be driven by stronger local media coverage, raising awareness, generating greater public interest within the continent, and building momentum and public support for the initiative. This would transform the narrative towards African innovation and capability in addressing public health challenges, promoting social accountability and inspiring pride among African communities.
”Additionally, the launch would be an excellent opportunity to further mobilize African nations to support the Africa Medicines Agency (AMA), which plays a pivotal role in creating an enabling environment for vaccine manufacturing by providing regulatory oversight, facilitating capacity building, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders.
