COVID-19 preparedness: capacity to manufacture vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Objective The COVID-19 pandemic is a biosecurity threat, and many resource-rich countries are stockpiling and/or making plans to secure supplies of vaccine, therapeutics, and diagnostics for their citizens. We review the products that are being investigated for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19; discuss the challenges that countries in sub-Saharan Africa may face with access to COVID-19 vaccine, therapeutics, and diagnostics due to the limited capacity to manufacture them in Africa; and make recommendations on actions to mitigate these challenges and ensure health security in sub-Saharan Africa during this unprecedented pandemic and future public-health crises. Main body Sub-Saharan Africa will not be self-reliant for COVID-19 vaccines when they are developed. It can, however, take advantage of existing initiatives aimed at supporting COVID-19 vaccine access to resource-limited settings such as partnership with AstraZeneca, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovation, the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation, the Serum Institute of India, and the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Technology Access Pool. Accessing effective COVID-19 therapeutics will also be a major challenge for countries in sub-Saharan Africa, as production of therapeutics is frequently geared towards profitable Western markets and is ill-adapted to sub-Saharan Africa realities. The region can benefit from pooled procurement of COVID-19 therapy by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in partnership with the African Union. If the use of convalescent plasma for the treatment of patients who are severely ill is found to be effective, access to the product will be minimally challenging since the region has a pool of recovered patients and human resources that can man supportive laboratories. The region also needs to drive the local development of rapid-test kits and other diagnostics for COVID-19. Conclusion Access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for COVID-19 will be a challenge for sub-Saharan Africans. This challenge should be confronted by collaborating with vaccine developers; pooled procurement of COVID-19 therapeutics; and local development of testing and diagnostic materials. The COVID-19 pandemic should be a wake-up call for sub-Saharan Africa to build vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics manufacturing capacity as one of the resources needed to address public-health crises.

Intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 and adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions against COVID-19 prior to the second wave of the pandemic in Uganda: a cross-sectional study

“…As of 6 May 2022, Uganda had registered 164 118 COVID-19 cases and 3598 deaths (case fatality rate=2.19%). At the start of the pandemic, countries struggled to contain COVID-19 spread and instituted several preventive and control measures including travel restrictions, geographical lockdowns and quarantine, as well as enforcement of public health guidelines such as hand hygiene, use of face masks and social distancing 3 4. These measures were taken to prevent transmission of the virus as well as flatten the curve.…”

Differential Effect of Vaccine Effectiveness and Safety on COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance across Socioeconomic Groups in an International Sample

“…mRNA vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna, may also be less effective against newer variants of SARS-CoV-2, like the delta variant [ 11 ]. Given supply or intellectual property constraints with mRNA vaccines like the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, which have some of the most ideal effectiveness profiles of any COVID-19 vaccine, other vaccines with reduced effectiveness may be made available in locations, but the population may be accordingly less accepting of the vaccine [ 12 ]. The underlying theory of this hypothesis is the Health Belief Model, in which health behaviors like vaccination can be affected by perceived benefits (e.g., effectiveness) and barriers (e.g., safety) [ 13 ].…”

Building the Momentum for A Stronger Pharmaceutical System in Africa

“…In November 2020 the Russian Direct Investment Fund Morocco (RDIF) signed a deal with Moroccan pharmaceutical manufacturer Galenica to produce the Russian COVID-19 vaccine locally. Similarly, in 2021 the Aspen Pharmacare started the production of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines in South Africa [ 13 ]. The company BioNTech has recently signed an agreement with the Rwandan government and Institut Pasteur de Dakar in Senegal on the construction of the first mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Africa starting in mid-2022.…”