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Preparing for the next pandemic: Strengthening Africa’s vaccine research ecosystem

 
A photo of author Samuel Oji Oti

Samuel Oji Oti

Senior program specialist, IDRC
Photo of Montasser Kamal

Montasser Kamal

Director, Global Health, IDRC

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of global health systems to deadly infectious disease outbreaks. The speed at which COVID-19 vaccines were developed and deployed was both unprecedented and critical to stemming the pandemic's tide. Vaccines are considered among the most life-saving public health interventions in history; they are critical to preventing and controlling infectious disease outbreaks. Yet, now Africa has the capacity to manufacture only 1% of vaccines used on the continent. 

This capacity gap was exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when African countries were almost fully dependent on the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) effort. This global initiative redistributed donated vaccines and resources from wealthier countries, including about 2 billion doses before shutting down in 2023. Delays prompted African heads of state to establish the Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing, aiming to produce 60% of Africa's vaccine needs locally by 2040. This initiative has catalyzed international efforts and investments to develop a sustainable vaccine manufacturing infrastructure in Africa. 

Why vaccine research matters

Vaccines are a cornerstone of global health security. Advancing vaccine research means responding more swiftly to outbreaks, reducing the burden on health-care systems, saving countless lives and preventing economies from collapsing under the weight of pandemics or costly disease outbreaks, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. It is an investment in a healthier, more resilient future for all. 

Each step in developing, testing, manufacturing and distributing a vaccine is an opportunity for innovation. Decades of work on vaccine technologies, such as mRNA and viral vectors, is what allowed scientists to bypass traditional and lengthy processes and leap directly into testing COVID-19 vaccines in humans. 

The engine of vaccine innovation is research. From lab studies to clinical trials, new vaccine candidates are discovered and tested. If and when they prove safe and effective, they are manufactured and sold, protecting individuals and communities. This requires synergies and alignment between government, academic and private sector for these efforts to be efficient and impactful.

Africa at the frontier of public health emergencies 

Africa has the most public health emergencies worldwide: over 100 significant public health incidents occur each year. In the past decade, Africa has seen an upsurge in deadly infectious disease outbreaks. The limited Ebola outbreak in West Africa between 2013 and 2016 killed over 11,000 people, while more recently, Ebola, mpox and Marburg outbreaks are serious concerns locally and internationally. Furthermore, while Africa has made major strides in childhood immunization, around one in five African children do not receive all routine vaccines: over 30 million African children under 5 still get vaccine-preventable diseases every year. 

As African countries and development partners ramp up efforts to increase the continent’s vaccine manufacturing capacity, Africa’s vaccine research ecosystem must be strengthened. During the 2013 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, IDRC and international partners supported research to test a new vaccine in Guinea. This vaccine is now the cornerstone of preventing Ebola outbreaks in Africa and beyond. Without known treatments or vaccines for an infectious disease, integrating vaccine research into the response to an outbreak right from the beginning could help save millions of lives. This is why IDRC and Canadian partners are supporting the World Health Organization to strengthen research readiness for future outbreaks in 17 African countries. IDRC is partnering with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency on a new project to complement basic vaccine research by strengthening capacity for vaccine-related social science research. 

Vaccine research gaps in Africa 

To learn where research can support Africa’s vaccine ecosystem, IDRC organized two virtual roundtables in October 2023 and February 2024. Important observations and recommendations emerged from the discussions:

Roundtable #1: Challenges and opportunities for scaling vaccine manufacturing in Africa, and where research can help 

  • Conduct research to address gaps such as weak and fragmented regulatory frameworks, which are hindering Africa’s vaccine manufacturing capacity.  
  • Ensure a strong, predictable, unfragmented demand for vaccines and develop sustainable market models.  
  • Create incentives for African vaccine researchers abroad to return and support R&D efforts. Offer training opportunities and research infrastructure to those based in the continent. 
  • Invest in locally led social science and behavioural research to address anti-vaccine sentiment and develop evidence-based strategies to promote vaccine acceptance.

Research in action

One IDRC-funded research project is evaluating policy, legal and governance structures to enhance Africa’s R&D capabilities and bolster its role in global diplomacy for equitable vaccine trade agreements. 

Roundtable #2: Strengthening vaccine delivery and uptake in Africa. How can research help? 

  • Research how vaccine delivery can be improved, such as developing temperature-stable vaccines or those that can be given in fewer doses. 
  • Invest in social science and behavioural research to address vaccine hesitancy, including misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.  
  • Do research to enhance vaccine uptake among marginalized groups, such as people living with disabilities.  
  • Increase research on translating gendered barriers into successful vaccination strategies.  
  • Integrate other relevant health data into health information systems to enhance vaccine uptake strategies. Digital solutions such as artificial intelligence (AI) could analyze data and provide timely insights for enhancing vaccine uptake.  

Research in action

As part of IDRC and UK International Development’s Artificial Intelligence for Global Health initiative, a research team in Ethiopia is developing an AI tool for community surveillance of polio. This could help health authorities run more effective polio immunization campaigns. 

Looking ahead: Advancing vaccine research 

IDRC is holding a third (hybrid) roundtable on understanding the private sector’s role in catalyzing Africa’s vaccine innovation ecosystem on March 4, 2025. It will be held at the 6th Africa Health Agenda International Conference 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda. Online participation will be free. Registration is available here.  

Media
An event card for a roundtable at Africa Health Agenda International Conference.

Ultimately, research-driven solutions and knowledge sharing will lead to better vaccine uptake and health outcomes. Africa can become an important player in the global vaccine landscape by fostering innovation and collaboration, ensuring timely responses to outbreaks and reducing dependency on external sources.