Africa’s top public health agency and South African pharmaceutical manufacturer Aspen Pharmacare are in advanced discussions on a long-term vaccine supply framework aimed at strengthening Africa’s local manufacturing capacity and reducing reliance on imports.
The talks involve the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and Aspen Pharmacare, and were announced on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit.
According to both parties, the proposed framework seeks to better align vaccine demand and supply across African countries, creating a more predictable market for vaccines produced on the continent.
Officials say the initiative is intended to support sustainable vaccine manufacturing by ensuring that African producers have long-term purchase agreements and clearer demand signals from governments and health institutions.
The discussions are part of broader efforts to strengthen Africa’s health security following lessons learned from global vaccine supply disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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African policymakers have since prioritised building regional pharmaceutical capacity, with a focus on reducing dependence on external suppliers for critical medical products.
Aspen, one of Africa’s largest pharmaceutical companies, has been central to the continent’s push to expand vaccine production capacity, particularly through its manufacturing facilities in South Africa.
The company has previously played a key role in producing vaccines for international partners, and is now seeking to expand its footprint in routine vaccine production for African markets.
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The Africa CDC has been advocating for stronger regional coordination in vaccine procurement to help create economies of scale and support investment in local production infrastructure.
Officials say a major challenge has been the lack of predictable demand, which has discouraged large-scale investment in vaccine manufacturing facilities across the continent.
The proposed framework aims to address this gap by aggregating demand across multiple countries and establishing long-term procurement commitments.
If successful, the initiative could help shift Africa from being heavily dependent on imported vaccines to becoming a more self-sufficient producer of essential medical supplies.
Health experts say such a shift would improve resilience against future pandemics and reduce delays in vaccine access during health emergencies.
The discussions are ongoing, and no timeline has been announced for the finalisation of the agreement, but both sides described the talks as “advanced” and constructive.
