Latest news with #PAVM
Zawya
17-06-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Why Africa's path to vaccine self-reliance is tough but necessary?
Four years after the Covid-19 pandemic exposed Africa's vulnerabilities in health product access, the Africa CDC is leading a push to manufacture 60 percent of the continent's vaccines locally by 2040. The Local Manufacturing Coordinator at Africa CDC, Dr Abebe Genetu Bayih, spoke to Pauline Ongaji on the challenges, strategies, and the critical role of political will and regional solidarity in shifting Africa from dependency to health sovereignty. What specific lessons did Covid-19 teach African health institutions like the Africa CDC?Covid-19 showed us the danger of dependency. Even with money in hand, we couldn't access vaccines or diagnostics due to export bans and nationalism. That's why the African Union declared: 'Never again.' This was the seed for the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) and our push for local production. It's about control, dignity, and saving lives in real time. But four years on, Africa still produces less than one percent of its vaccines. Why is progress so slow despite the urgency?We're not starting from scratch. Covid-19 opened our eyes. The issue isn't just about factories — it's about ecosystems. Vaccine production is capital-intensive, technically demanding, and tightly regulated. Many African governments invest less than 15 percent of their national budgets in healthcare — far below the Abuja target. Add weak regulatory systems and limited clinical trial infrastructure, and you see why local production has struggled. But things are changing. We now have a clear roadmap and growing political alignment. Is local manufacturing really viable given Africa's financial constraints and small pharma market?It's not just viable — it's necessary. But viability hinges on creating demand through pooled procurement and government commitments to 'Buy African.' We're also working with development banks to unlock tailored financing through initiatives like the $1.2 billion AVMA fund and AfriExim's $2 billion facility. Manufacturers can't invest without predictable buyers. Political will must translate into purchasing power. Africa CDC has identified eight priority vaccines for local manufacturing. Why these eight?These eight vaccines — including pneumococcal conjugate, measles-rubella, malaria, and HPV — are chosen based on disease burden, feasibility, and regional demand. These antigens also represent a strategic opportunity for building manufacturing capabilities that can scale. They are critical to proving that African-made vaccines can meet WHO standards and serve regional needs. Read: Enough is enough! It's time for Africa to produce its own medicinesLet's talk regulation. How is Africa CDC addressing the perception and trust gap in African-made vaccines?Perception is a challenge, yes — but so was it for India and Korea once. Trust begins with strong regulatory oversight. We've now supported eight countries to achieve WHO Maturity Level 3. We're also accelerating WHO prequalification timelines by allowing concurrent submissions to national regulators and WHO. This is crucial for global acceptance and procurement eligibility by Gavi, Unicef, and others. Read: Why Indian firms hesitate to make drugs, vaccines in AfricaWhat's being done to solve the human resource shortage in biomanufacturing?Our data shows we'll need 12,500 full-time professionals to meet our 2040 goals — and we currently have fewer than 4,000. That's why we launched the Regional Capacity and Capability Networks (RCCNs). These are local hubs for training, R&D, and regulatory strengthening in five regions. We've already begun running courses — one in Senegal trained 25 experts from 10 countries. But we must scale faster and embed these efforts locally. You've emphasised technology transfer. Where does Africa stand now?Only a handful of companies currently hold proprietary vaccine technologies. For example, we're in talks to bring Mpox vaccine technology to Africa. But successful transfer needs more than goodwill — we need an enabling environment: IP frameworks, workforce, infrastructure. That's why we developed a continent-wide Technology Transfer Strategy and are supporting facilities ready to receive technologies. How is Africa CDC supporting manufacturers beyond technical advice?We offer direct support through coordination, advocacy, matchmaking with financiers, and technical assistance. For example, we helped South Africa's Saphra acquire lab equipment worth $750,000. We also track and update a continent-wide landscape of manufacturers — identifying who's ready, who's breaking ground, and where gaps remain. This data guides our support. Can this strategy extend beyond vaccines to other health products?Absolutely. In 2024, the AU expanded our mandate to include diagnostics, therapeutics, and medical devices. We're building the African Pool Procurement Mechanism (APPM) with Uneca and AfriExim Bank. We're also prioritising products for five disease areas: HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, diabetes, and neglected tropical diseases. This isn't just about pandemics — it's about everyday health. Read: HIV patient testing falls in South Africa after US aid cuts, data showsRealistically, what will success look like by 2030?We aim to reach at least 10 percent local vaccine production by 2025 and see eight vaccines prequalified by WHO between now and 2030. These will be produced by companies in Senegal and South Africa. If we achieve that, we'll be well on the way to our 2040 target. But it depends on continued investment, coordination, and trust from both African institutions and the global community. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PAVmed subsidiary Veris Health partners with Ohio State University cancer center
PAVmed's (PAVM) majority-owned digital health subsidiary Veris Health has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, or OSUCCC – James, a National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. This agreement follows the successful completion of a pilot program which enrolled patients across several OSUCCC – James cancer care service lines on the Veris Cancer Care Platform. Veris and OSUCCC – James entered into a long-term, multi-project strategic partnership to utilize, and further the development and commercialization of the Veris Cancer Care Platform and its implantable physiologic monitor. The agreement includes expansion of commercial utilization of the platform across cancer care service lines; full electronic health record integration; initiation of a clinical registry of patients enrolled on the platform to be launched in the coming weeks; and launch of a clinical trial of patients receiving the implantable physiologic monitor, to be launched upon FDA clearance, expected next year. Cancer patients enrolled on the platform receive a VerisBox of Veris-branded connected health care devices which transmit physiologic data to the cloud-based clinician portal via embedded cellular connections. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>> See the top stocks recommended by analysts >> Read More on PAVM: Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Lucid Diagnostics to join Russell 2000, Russell 3000 indexes PAVmed's Earnings Call: Optimism Amid Challenges PAVmed's Strategic Advancements and Growth Potential Drive Buy Rating Pavmed Inc. Reports Turnaround with Strong Q1 Earnings PAVmed Reports Q1 2025 Financial Results and Updates
Zawya
07-02-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Kenya Endorses Communique on Advancing Health Products Manufacturing
African Union (AU) Member States have endorsed a communiqué aimed at strengthening local manufacturing of vaccines, diagnostics, medicines, and other essential health products. Kenya's delegation, led by Principal Secretary for Medical Services Harry Kimtai, joined regional leaders in supporting key commitments to enhance health security and self-sufficiency across the continent. The communiqué highlights the upgrade of the Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) to the Platform for Harmonized African Health Manufacturing (PHAHM) to drive self-reliance, the establishment of the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM) to improve affordability and access, and the strengthening of regulatory frameworks through the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) and the African Medicines Agency (AMA). It also supports the Gavi African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), a $1.2 billion initiative to boost vaccine production, while promoting regional collaboration and financing mechanisms to sustain investments in Africa's health manufacturing sector. The forum urged AU Member States, regional economic communities, and global partners to prioritize procurement of African-made vaccines and health products to ensure demand certainty for local manufacturers. It also called for stronger commitments to talent development, financing, and coordinated procurement strategies to reduce import dependency. Kenya reaffirmed its commitment to advancing these initiatives, aligning with the AU's vision for a resilient and self-reliant health system across the continent. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.
