The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday that it had launched a mRNA vaccine technology hub in Cape Town.

The hub was launched during a five-day visit by WHO delegates that are working with the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme.

The hub was established during the Covid-19 pandemic to help poorer countries that struggle to access life-saving medication.

During the launch, the WHO also reviewed the progress of mRNA technology.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “I am delighted to be here in Cape Town with our partners to support a sustainable model for mRNA technology transfer to give low- and middle-income countries equitable access to vaccines and other life-saving health products.

“I am immensely proud of the achievement of all those involved in this project. In less than two years we have shown that when we work collaboratively, we succeed collectively.”

According to WHO, the Covid-19 pandemic underscored that gross inequity existed in access to health products, especially vaccines. As at March 2023, more than three years after the WHO declared Covid-19 a public health emergency of international concern, 69.7% of the global population had received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Notably, this proportion still remains below 30% in low-income countries.

“This programme (the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme) aims to contribute to equitable access to mRNA vaccines by increasing the distribution of sustainable manufacturing capacity across low- and middle-income countries, enhancing regional and inter-regional collaboration, and developing and empowering a local workforce through tailored and inclusive training and expert support.

“What is unique in the mRNA Technology Transfer model is the multilateral process that allows sharing of technologies to multiple recipients so that those in need can be reached rapidly through local and regional production,” the organisation said.

Minister of Health Joe Phaahla said: “What we see here today is a moment in history, a programme that is aimed at empowering low- and middle-income countries through a global collaborative network.

“I am thrilled to see the progress made in such a relatively short time and welcome the support from so many different countries – countries like South Africa that have a strong vibrant biomanufacturing capacity and that are willing to work together, learn from and share with each other.”

Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Blade Nzimande said: “Ours is the vision of the mRNA Technology Transfer Hub beyond just Covid-19. The capabilities we are building are looking to empower us to deal with other future pandemics whose vaccines could use the same mRNA technology platform. It is a vision that has set its eyes on diseases that are prevalent in our environments such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/Aids.”

In 2021, the WHO chose South African biotech firm Afrigen Biologics for a pilot project to give poor and middle-income countries the know-how and licences to make Covid-19 vaccines.

Afrigen Biologics used the publicly available sequence of Moderna Inc's mRNA Covid-19 vaccine to make its own version of the shot – AfriVac 2121 – at lab scale.

Afrigen executive director Petro Terblanche said: “Over the last 18 months, Afrigen has undergone an incredible transformation with the support of a network of partners and mentors enabled by this programme. We have grown our capability and capacity to meet the highest quality standards of mRNA vaccine development, serving the objective to build sustainable capacity in low- and middle-income countries to produce mRNA vaccines.”

Afrigen had successfully established a Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing process at a laboratory scale and was currently scaling up that process to a level suitable for manufacturing vaccine batches to be used in clinical trials. In a parallel process, Afrigen would continue to carry out training and technology transfer to the network partners, WHO said.

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WHO launches mRNA vaccine technology hub in Cape Town