South African vaccine-maker Biovac has secured a $20 million loan from the French government to support the construction of a new manufacturing plant, helping to build much-needed vaccine manufacturing capability on the continent.
The plant will make vaccines for diseases such as polio, meningitis, pneumonia and cholera, building Africa’s ability to prevent and respond to epidemics.
The addition of cholera means that Biovac becomes the first company in Africa to be able to develop and manufacture a cholera vaccine.
Biovac will receive technical support from French company Sanofi in producing the polio vaccine.
The deal is in line with the African Union’s Africa Health Security and Sovereignty (AHSS) agenda, adopted by countries in February this year. The agenda calls for a continental pandemic monitoring and response capability, and for vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics to be manufactured in Africa.
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“This is a defining moment as the continent accelerates efforts to build sustainable vaccine manufacturing capacity and move toward a future where Africa produces and procures more of its own health products as a central pillar of its Health Security and Sovereignty agenda,” said Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
“Investments such as these are critical to strengthening local manufacturing ecosystems, accelerating technology transfer, and ensuring sustainable and equitable access to African-made vaccines.”
The vaccines will be primarily distributed through the international vaccine alliance Gavi and UNICEF, the UN agency for children.
The loan comes through Proparco, a development finance institution which forms part of France’s overseas development agency AFD.
“Expanding vaccine production capacity on the continent is essential to improve immunisation and strengthen the resilience of populations, particularly the most vulnerable,” said Françoise Lombard, chief executive of Proparco. “The project will also reduce dependence on imports, foster innovation and create skilled jobs.”
It is part of a broader $150 million financing deal for Biovac announced in 2022, with funds coming from a consortium of nine international development organisations, including the African Development Bank, British International Investment, the European Investment Bank, the International Finance Corporation and Proparco.
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