Gavi: What Nigeria Needs to Do to Promote Local Vaccine Manufacturing
• Plans $1bn market facility
As Nigeria embarks on measures to promote local manufacturing of health sector commodities, the international vaccine alliance - GAVI has given useful tips on how to revive vaccine production in the country.
It said that the country needs to create an investment environment that will encourage organisations interested in vaccine production and if possible provide subsidies for them to assist their take off
Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, Dr. Sania Nishtar, said the organisation was planning to launch a programme that will further accelerate vaccine manufacturing and utilisation in Africa with an advanced market commitment to the tune of $1 billion.
Speaking after inspection of a Primary Healthcare facility in Mabushi in Abuja yesterday, as part of her itinerary in Nigeria, Gavi CEO said the organisation is dedicated to bringing vaccination to every child in every part of the world as a means of checking preventable deadly diseases.
When asked about the support Gavi is giving to promote local manufacture of vaccines in Nigeria, Nishtar said: "There are a lot of organisations and entities involved in vaccine manufacturing, both at the country level and global level. What the country needs to have is the right institutional environment with regulatory capacity.
"The country needs to create an investment environment and facilitate organisations interested in vaccine production and if possible provide subsidies for them. It is the country's responsibility to do that to promote vaccine manufacturing."
The Gavi boss said there are differences in the roles being played by the international organisations, adding that may inform the provision of funds, knowledge and oversights.
She said that the role of Gavi is to shape the market in such a way that vaccine manufacturing becomes viable, qualitative and affordable within the African continent.
"So we are very pleased to initialise the programme for activating vaccine manufacturing accelerator which is basically an advanced market commitment to tune of $1 billion," she said