By Sylvia Chebet
The Covid-19 pandemic was more than just a global health catastrophe. It was a steep learning curve for everyone, especially for those stuck at the back end of the vaccine rollout by pharmaceutical giants aligned with a handful of countries that called the shots, literally and figuratively.
Based on this experience, Kenya is determined to eliminate the possibility of external dependence in any future situation.
The East African country joined the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) as a member state this June, an occasion President William Ruto hailed as a momentous move towards self-reliance in a critical aspect of healthcare.
Ruto, who hoisted the Kenyan flag during the accession ceremony at the UN agency's headquarters in South Korea's Seoul, said Kenya learnt its lessons from the challenge of accessing vaccines when the pandemic was raging.
"The time has come for Africa to actualise health sovereignty by liberating itself from dependency on unsustainable frameworks and accelerating initiatives to become self-sufficient in vaccine production," he said.
Susan Nakhumicha, Kenya's health minister, said becoming a member state of IVI would go a long way toward building the country's end-to-end capability for local research, development and manufacture of safe, effective, and affordable vaccines.
“In addition, Kenya will be able to successfully transition out of donor-funded support as she becomes self-reliant in its vaccine supplies," she told TRT Afrika.
Technology transfers
As a member state, Kenya now has access to IVI's vast global network of manufacturers and stands to gain technology transfers from reputable producers.
During the ceremony marking the country's ratification of the IVI treaty, President Ruto stressed the need to enable universal access to vaccines, regardless of nationality and status.
"In vaccine production and supply terms, no one is safe until everyone is safe," he said.
For his part, IVI's director general, Jerome Kim, affirmed his agency's commitment to building a strong and sustainable vaccine ecosystem that advances science, prevents disease and saves lives. "As we think about vaccine security, it must be intentional, empowering and inclusive," he stated.
The health ministry says IVI will collaborate with its manufacturing partner, Kenya BioVax Institute, and research partner, KEMRI, to fulfil the mandates for disease surveillance, evidence generation, technology transfers, and scale-up.
The three partners will also coordinate clinical trials, provide technical support for WHO prequalification and oversee the commercialisation of their products.
President Ruto urged IVI to continue pushing the "boundaries of innovation" to enhance the continent's research and development efforts and build resilient health systems.
Target vaccines
With these end-to-end capabilities in place, the health minister is confident that Kenya will be better prepared for the next vaccine-preventable disease outbreak — either an epidemic or a pandemic.
Vaccines against cholera, measles, rubella, and typhoid are among those that are targeted for production.
"This will enhance the delivery of Kenya's primary healthcare and adequately support disease prevention," Nakhumicha said.
Recently, newborns and older babies in Kenya were left exposed following a countrywide shortage of crucial vaccines, including measles, rubella, oral polio, tetanus-diphtheria, and BCG.
The health ministry said it had since procured US $9.6 million worth of emergency vaccines and aims to deliver them to all health facilities this month.
In the future, local vaccine production will ensure constant supply, preventing life-threatening shortages.
"It has been shown that the surest way to prevent diseases is through immunisation, and we can only achieve that if we invest in vaccines," Nakhumicha said.
Regional hub
Kenya aims to become the regional hub for specialised health products and technologies, particularly vaccines for childhood and adolescent girls and maternal immunisation.
The health ministry estimates that the East African Community countries present a significant market size of over 150 million doses annually for essential childhood, adolescent girls, and maternal vaccines.
Health experts predict that with a rising birth rate of over 2.3% per annum, the demand for vaccines will increase.
Kenya is setting up a medium-sized fill-and-finish facility at BioVax, with the first commercial production envisaged between 2026 and 2027.
"A typical project envisages over $50 million in investments in infrastructure for clinical trials," Nakhumicha said of the foreign direct investment from global manufacturers conducting clinical trials for vaccines in Kenya.
Additionally, local vaccine production means scientists, project managers, and technical and administrative staff from Kenya and the rest of Africa will find employment opportunities.
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