On May 22, 2023, National Academy of Medicine (NAM) President Victor J. Dzau emphasized the importance of building a sustainable Regional Vaccine Manufacturing Network for global health security in his presentation at an event held in parallel with the 76th World Health Assembly. The event was hosted by the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in Geneva and Medicines Patent Pool, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Economic Forum, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the NAM.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, inequitable access to vaccines and treatments cost lives and prolonged the pandemic. In response, the WHO and its partner Medicines Patent Pool convened the global mRNA Technology Transfer Programme to establish sustainable, locally owned mRNA manufacturing capabilities in and for low- and middle-income countries. In parallel, the World Economic Forum in partnership with CEPI and the NAM launched the Regionalized Vaccine Manufacturing Collaborative (RVMC) to develop a framework for regional vaccine manufacturing to reduce dependency on a challenged global system. During the May 22 event, speakers touched on the successes of the programs and explored strategies for achieving sustainability across vaccine manufacturing efforts.
Following opening remarks by Anne-Claire Amprou, French Ambassador for Global Health, and Charles Gore, Executive Director of Medicines Patent Pool, the first panel explored strategies for ensuring the sustainability of the manufacturing capacity being established through the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme. The panel, moderated by journalist Folly Bah Thibault, included Martin Friede, Initiative for Vaccine Research Coordinator, WHO; Joe Phaahla, Minister of Health of South Africa; Jerome H. Kim, Director General, International Vaccine Institute; Morena Makhoana, Chief Executive Officer, Biovac; and Maurine Murenga, Executive Director, Lean on Me Foundation.
Dzau opened the second panel with an overview of the work of RVMC, co-chaired by Dzau and Richard Hatchett of CEPI. “How do you make vaccines and therapeutic platforms available and how do you make it sustainable whereby countries and regions have the capability of manufacturing and being able to sustain and be self-reliant?” said Dzau, framing the discussion about the ongoing need for collaboration. The panel was facilitated by John-Arne Røttingen, Ambassador for Global Health, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and also featured Priya Basu, Executive Head, The Pandemic Fund Secretariat, World Bank; Ong Ye Kung, Minister of Health Singapore; Jae-Yong Ahn, President and CEO, SK bioscience; Jean Kasseya, Director General, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention; Barbosa da Silva, Jr., Director, Pan American Health Organization; and Seth Berkley, CEO, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance.
The event closed with remarks from Jeremy Farrar, Chief Scientist at the WHO, and Jérôme Bonnafont, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in Geneva.
View the full event recording.
