On Thursday June 23, Rwanda and Germany pharma company BioNTech broke ground in Kigali where the first Africa’s mRNA vaccine plant will be established. The facility is the first of three slated for entire Africa and the first production of mRNA vaccine is expected to be ready in 2024.
President Nana Akufo-Addo was among the African leaders who joined Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame at this historic ground-breaking ceremony. President Akufo stated that such a Pan-African vaccine facility aligns with the Ghana’s plan to develop domestic vaccine.
Sharing his words;
As I said in Marburg, the Pan-African Vaccine Manufacturing Project fits perfectly with Ghana’s roadmap for domestic vaccine development and manufacturing. Ghana is ready to play her role and I affirm, once again, her determination to make the Project work successfully.
Other leaders who graced the ceremony include World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, African Union Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat and other high-ranking figures.
The mRNA plant will produce BioNTech-Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, which will be based on new technology through use of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA).
