To coincide with the opening of the first BioNTech manufacturing facility in Africa - in Kigali, Rwanda - a high-level workshop was convened in Kigali, bringing together African ministers of health, senior officials from the WHO Regional Office for Africa and the African CDC to advance discussions on local production of vaccines, therapeutics and other medical products to address public health priorities in Africa.

In his opening remarks, Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, Rwanda's Minister of Health, lamented that the African continent still outsources more than 90% of its vaccines, medicines and therapeutics, and praised joint continental efforts towards local production and distribution as a more reliable solution for the African continent.

"As a historic moment for our continent unfolds under our watch with the inauguration of a BioNTech vaccine manufacturing facility here in Kigali, let's not forget that this is a great momentum not only for Rwanda, but for the whole continent and humanity at large," he said.

The road to African self-sufficiency in local production of vaccines and medical products was reiterated by Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of the CDC in Africa, when he recalled an adopted strategy to produce more than half of the continent's vaccines locally.

“Africa CDC has established the Partnership for Africa Vaccine Manufacturing - PAVM - and developed a 20-year strategy with a focus on ensuring that at least 60% of the vaccines needed in Africa are produced here in Africa,” he said.

While the future holds great promise in terms of a self-sufficient continent, the WHO Regional Coordinator for Africa, Dr Moeti Matshidiso, emphasized that local production of vaccines and medical products will not be achieved at the expense of quality. She also noted that local production of medical products will be an efficient tool to adequately prepare for and respond to other health emergencies that may come in the future

“The production of high-quality, safe vaccines on the continent will transform the way Africa approaches disease prevention and control and strengthening national regulatory systems is key to the success of this programme,” she said

The inauguration of BioNTech's vaccine manufacturing facility in the Kigali Special Economic Zone was presided over by President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame. Uğur Şahin, President Macky Sall of Senegal, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and other senior officials.