Africa Needs a Vaccine Ecosystem with CDMO and Supplier Support

Improving access to vaccines in Africa will require a manufacturing ecosystem able to supply jabs to multiple countries, according to new analysis, which suggests national-level efforts may impede capacity building.

The study, published in Discover Medicine,  identified cross-border and public-private collaboration as the keys to building vaccine capacity in Africa, says lead author, Vetja Haakuria, PhD, from the University of Rwanda.

“There is a need for a clear understanding of the architecture of the vaccine manufacturing ecosystem, and for this to guide the capacity building efforts. Most African countries have a small population size, which makes end-to-end vaccine manufacturing for most of them not viable as a business case,” he tells GEN.

Some countries are building capacity. For example, in 2022, South Africa partnered with the European Investment Bank to help increase output from Biovac’s facility in Cape Town. More recently, Kenya teamed with the Belgian Government to enhance local vaccine production and modernize medical waste management.

However, while these efforts are effective at the local level, in isolation, they may hinder the development of the broader vaccine ecosystem Africa needs, Haakuria says, citing workforce challenges as an example.

“Currently, national interest and ambitions drive countries to each build their own end-to-end manufacturing capacity. These national-level efforts are only likely to exacerbate the skills deficit, challenges with talent retention, and funding challenges,” he says, adding “national ambitions conspire to impede the capacity building efforts.”

CDMO sector

In other regions, vaccine production capacity has been increased by providing local manufacturers with access to technologies. However, the approach is not a good fit for Africa, according to Haakuria.

“While PDPs

such as Hilleman Laboratories, IVI, and UnitAid facilitate access to technology, there are very few vaccine manufacturers on the continent to leverage these technology transfer opportunities.

“South-East Asian counties—for example, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam—have taken advantage of technology transfer to build capacity through public sector CDMOs. However, CDMOs and CMOs—public or private—are extremely rare on the African continent.”

Limited access to bioprocessing systems is also an impediment to African capacity-building efforts, according to Haakuria, who says suppliers have a role to play in addressing the issue.

“Cytiva, Sartorius, Pall, Thermo Fischer, and others have a footprint across Africa, notably in South Africa and North Africa, often through distributors and agents.

“As the nascent vaccine manufacturing industry is taking shape, we expect these solution providers to have a more expanded and visible footprint. That should reduce supply timelines and enhance speedy access,” he says.

Elsewhere, artificial intelligence and automation have increased vaccine output by streamlining operations and reducing waste. But, while Haakuria thinks AI could help in Africa, the focus would need to be on capacity rather than process optimization.

“AI has great potential to enhance translational research capacity, for example, in drug discovery as well as biomanufacturing. However, there is currently no notable vaccine manufacturing capacity safe for one or two cases.

“As such, the focus of AI and automation should be on helping to build that capacity. I see technology transfer, training, and research as the areas where AI can have the most profound impact,” he says.