Biontech inaugurates first mRNA plant in Africa - Baerbock speaks of "milestone"
Africa has so far been largely dependent on imported vaccines. Only one percent of the required vaccines are produced on the continent. Following a test phase, the Rwandan Biontech plant is set to start commercial production of vaccines next year.
According to the Mainz-based company, it intends to use the mRNA technology primarily to develop vaccines for diseases that are particularly prevalent in Africa in view of the sharp decline in demand for coronavirus vaccines.
A malaria vaccine is soon to be produced in Rwanda and is currently in the clinical test phase. Vaccines against tuberculosis and HIV are to be added later, with the clinical test phase scheduled to begin in 2024. The vaccines produced in Rwanda are to benefit the African continent exclusively.
The establishment of the production facility is also a consequence of the experience gained during the coronavirus pandemic, when the poor countries of the South initially had little access to the new life-saving mRNA vaccines. At the time, it was "not possible to distribute the vaccines quickly and fairly around the world", Baerbock criticized.
At the inauguration, the Foreign Minister praised the "remarkable speed" with which the plant in Rwanda was built. The foundation stone for the Biontech production facility in Kigali was laid in June 2022. The pharmaceutical company delivered mobile laboratory units consisting of converted shipping containers to the African country for the construction. According to the Mainz-based company, it plans to invest a total of 150 million euros in Rwanda.
Baerbock praised the spirit of international cooperation that made the project possible. "At a time when we are talking about deepening rifts in world politics, we are showing what European-African cooperation can achieve," she said in Kigali, referring to the EU's "Global Gateway" investment offensive. Vaccine production in Rwanda, Ghana, South Africa and Nigeria is to be driven forward with around 1.2 billion euros, half of which is being financed by Germany.
Biontech founders Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci as well as EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the Presidents of Rwanda, Senegal and Ghana also attended the opening of the plant in Kigali.
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- Biontech's A-rated mRNA technology will mainly focus on developing vaccines for diseases prevalent in Africa, as the company shifts its focus due to the decline in coronavirus vaccine demand.
- From next year, the Rwandan Biontech plant, which has undergone a test phase, will commence commercial production of vaccines, marking a significant milestone in the pharmaceutical industry.
- Baerbock, the German Foreign Minister, spoke of this development as a "milestone" during the inauguration ceremony, praising the speed with which the production site in Kigali was constructed.
- The establishment of this production site in Rwanda is a response to the initial lack of access to mRNA vaccines for poor countries during the coronavirus pandemic, a problem Baerbock criticized as "not possible to distribute quickly and fairly around the world".
- In addition to a malaria vaccine currently in clinical trials, vaccines against tuberculosis and HIV are set to be produced at the Rwandan site, with the clinical test phase for these vaccines scheduled to begin in 2024.
- The vaccines produced in Rwanda will exclusively benefit the African continent, cementing the pharmaceutical industry's commitment to addressing key health issues in the region.
- Baerbock emphasized the spirit of international cooperation that made the project possible, highlighting the EU's "Global Gateway" investment offensive that aims to drive vaccine production in Rwanda, Ghana, South Africa, and Nigeria with a combined investment of 1.2 billion euros.
- European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Biontech founders Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci, and the Presidents of Rwanda, Senegal, and Ghana were among the notables present at the inauguration ceremony in Kigali.
- The Mainz-based company has invested 150 million euros into the Rwandan production site, employing mobile laboratory units consisting of converted shipping containers for the construction of the facility.
- With the first mRNA vaccine production site in Africa now operational, there is significant anticipation of further advancements in the fight against diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV, which have had a significant impact on the African continent.
- Addressing global health challenges is of utmost importance, and initiatives like the Biontech plant in Rwanda showcase the potential for cooperation to produce effective vaccines and advance medical research, not just for Africa but for the world, including dealing with diseases like Coronavirus and HIV.
Source: www.stern.de
