(Ecofin Agency) - To address the shortage of Covid-19 vaccines in Africa, Africa CDC says it wants to promote local vaccine production on the continent. The institution seeks to produce 60% of the vaccines used on the continent by 2040, with the support of international partners.

Biotechnology company Moderna announced this week the establishment of its first mRNA vaccine production plant in Kenya. This unit will generate 500 million doses of vaccines annually for use in Africa.

Moderna says the project requires an investment of $500 million. The facility “will focus on drug substance manufacturing on the continent of Africa for the continent of Africa, and could also be expanded to include fill/finish and packaging capabilities at the site,” the statement reads.

"With our mRNA global public health vaccine program, including our vaccine programs against HIV and Nipah, and with this partnership with the Republic of Kenya, the African Union, and the U.S. Government, we believe that this step will become one of many on a journey to ensure sustainable access to transformative mRNA innovation on the African continent and positively impact public health," said Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna.

This investment aligns with both the company’s and African governments’ ambition to ease vaccine access for Africans. In April 2021, African Union leaders and experts discussed the issue of vaccine manufacturing in Africa. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted Africa´s vulnerability due to its reliance on imports for most vaccines, medicines, and other health product needs. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) estimates that Africa imports about 94% of its pharmaceutical and medicinal needs from outside the continent at an annual cost of $16 billion.

Last October, the laboratory BioNTech also announced the installation of a vaccine production plant on the continent (Rwanda and Senegal).