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Africa aims to have at least 60 per cent of vaccines used in the continent manufactured locally by 2040, President William Ruto has said.

He said Africa’s commitment to achieve self-sufficiency by establishing a continental ecosystem of vaccine production capacity is anchored by the target that the continent has set for itself.

“By 2040, at least 60 per cent of vaccines used in Africa shall be locally manufactured. We have less than two decades to go, which leaves us with no choice but to accelerate what must be done.

We are here to shift gears and go farther, faster, together, to make health security a public good in Africa,” said Ruto.

He was speaking yesterday at an event co-hosted by the government and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), on the sidelines of the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Union in Ethiopia.

“You can count on Kenya to translate this commitment into decisive actions and visible results in the coming months. The time has come for the AU Member States to take bold and decisive steps in implementing homegrown solutions to our health security challenges,” Ruto said.

He said there is need to build a holistic ecosystem incorporating the entire value chain, from research and development to clinical trials, local production and efficient distribution and delivery.

Similarly, he said, strong political will and commitment is necessary to intensify and sustain investments in healthcare infrastructure, human capital and institutional frameworks.

He said Africa must begin to liberate itself from dependence on donor-funded mechanisms and AU member States must significantly accelerate efforts to develop a self reliant, self-sufficient vaccine production sector for sustainable access to routine and outbreak vaccinations.

Greed for profit

At the same time, he said it is critical for African leaders to mobilise adequate investments in local vaccine industries, which entails removal of drawbacks, including intellectual property obstacles to manufacturing, trade barriers and supply chain constraints.

“We must promote equitable vaccine distribution globally based on the need to save lives, not greed for profit,” Ruto stated.

He said it is crucial to ensure that vaccines are available and accessible to all, regardless of nationality, wealth or social status. “I am encouraged by our manifest resolve, as African leaders, to seize this moment, reimagine and transform the future of healthcare in Africa by building a resilient, equitable and sustainable manufacturing ecosystem that serves the vaccine needs of our continent and its people,” Ruto said.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the grave vulnerabilities inherent in the global healthcare systems, graphically exposing glaring inequalities in access to life-saving diagnostics, medicines and vaccines.

Meanwhile, Ruto has said Africa it will remain actively engaged in the global effort towards an international financial reform agenda. He said the continent will also be engaged in various initiatives on debt sustainability and innovative financing.

“These will inform the agenda of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, as well as the summit of the future,” said Ruto.

He made the remarks during the Committee of the African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change meeting held at the AU headquarters.

He also said that the committee emphasized on the importance of Africa’s commitment to work with the domestic and global institutional investment community to mobilize private capital at scale to realize the objectives of the Nairobi Declaration.

The committee also discussed the outcomes of the Conference of Parties (COP28), which was held in Dubai in December last year.