Gavi Unveils US$189 Million Plan to Accelerate Vaccine Manufacturing in Africa
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has announced plans to invest an additional US$189 million to accelerate vaccine manufacturing across Africa as part of efforts to strengthen the continent’s health security and reduce reliance on imported vaccines.
The proposed funding, known as AVMA+, will be presented to Gavi’s Board in July and is intended to support the rapid expansion of Africa’s vaccine production ecosystem under the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA).
According to Gavi, the funding will help address regulatory and market-entry barriers that continue to slow investment in African vaccine manufacturing. It will also support the procurement of up to 70 million doses of vaccines produced by emerging African manufacturers through competitive tender processes once products reach the market.
Gavi Chief Executive Officer Dr Sania Nishtar said the initiative is expected to provide a major boost to efforts aimed at establishing a sustainable vaccine manufacturing industry on the continent.
“With AVMA expected to begin disbursing cash to manufacturers in the second half of this year, we believe these additional funds will provide powerful impetus towards catalysing a successful and sustainable vaccine manufacturing sector in Africa,” Dr Nishtar said.
She noted that the programme has already recorded significant progress since its launch in 2024, including the signing of 13 technology transfer agreements that have supported the development of commercial-scale manufacturing facilities in six African countries.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed Africa’s heavy dependence on imported vaccines, with the continent accounting for only 0.1 per cent of global vaccine production despite hosting nearly 20 per cent of the world’s population. During the pandemic, many African countries struggled to secure timely vaccine supplies.
Gavi said AVMA was developed in partnership with the African Union and Africa CDC to help ensure Africa can better respond to future health emergencies by supporting local vaccine production capacity.
The organisation added that more than US$3 billion in additional financing has already been mobilised since the programme’s launch, raising hopes that the first Africa-manufactured vaccines supported under AVMA could be deployed as early as 2027.
