According to the World Health Organization, less than 2% of vaccine doses have been administered in Africa. Most of this vaccine comes from the WHO-led Covax initiative. Faced with the risk of shortages, Senegal is aiming to produce its own vaccines.
The goal is the beginning of 2022. The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, which produces yellow fever vaccines, has experience, according to the authorities. IRESSEF, the Institute for Health Research, Epidemiological Surveillance and Training, is also positioning itself. Two agreements were signed with a biotechnology company in Wallonia, during a visit of President Macky Sall to Belgium.
As the continent is faced with the health crisis, it “must strengthen its autonomy” according to the Senegalese Minister of Health. Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, who represented the Head of State this week at a meeting of the African Union’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
“There is production capacity in Africa and we can build more. We will also continue promising discussions with South Africa and are open to other collaborators. I urge that Africa be put at the center of the map to make global production more balanced. “