Experts, CSOs discuss vaccine production in Africa (LIVE UPDATES)

A symposium to discuss immunisation and investment in vaccine production in Africa holds today in Abuja.

Health experts, government officials, civil society organisations, and international partners are expected to be present during the one-day high-level event with the theme; “Equitable Vaccines Access: Resilient Communities.”

The symposium is organised by the West African Institute of Public Health (WAIPH) with support of the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health @scale (PACFaH@Scale/PAS) and other partners to mark the African Vaccine Week (AVW).

AVW is an annual event celebrated during the last of week of April with the aim of promoting the use of vaccines to protect Africans from preventable diseases.

The organisers said the event is aimed at finding solutions to challenges of vaccine production and supply chain situation in the region. The event will also touch on issues around vaccine hesitancy and poor awareness affecting vaccine acceptance in many parts of Africa.

Africa, a continent of over 1.2 billion people and 54 countries produces only one per cent of vaccines it administers. This is even as the continent accounts for large percentage of deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases.

This situation made the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention launch a partnership for African vaccine manufacturing in April 2021. The partnership aims to build capacity across the continent so that by 2040, at least 60 per cent of all vaccines used in the region will be produced in African nations.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Nigeria, five other African countries get WHO approval for vaccine production

Today’s symposium promises to track progress made in vaccine manufacturing and production across the continent.

The events also presents opportunities for participants to look at the partnerships by African governments and CSOs in advancing indigenous vaccine production in Africa.

Stay on this page as PREMIUM TIMES provides live updates of the event scheduled to commence by 9:00 a.m

3:07p.m: Event closes.

3:05p.m: Mr Ohanyido said the symposium marked the beginning of advocacy towards advancement of vaccine production and distribution in Nigeria.

3:03p.m: Francis Ohanyido, the director-general of WAIPH, gives closing remarks and vote of thanks. He thanked Messrs Tomori and Nasidi for driving the course of public health advocacy in Nigeria. He also appreciated other speakers, the media and participants in attendance.

2:59p.m: Closing remarks

2:36p.m: In summary, Abdulsalami Nasidi, the pioneer director of NCDC, said there is a need for Nigeria to learn from experiences and failures of the past in terms of vaccine production. Mr Nasidi, a professor, also said the Nigerian government should learn how to imbibe continuity in implementation of plans. “We need to learn how to always continue from where a previous government stopped.”

2: 35p.m: He said adaptive leadership, motivation and accountability is needed in policy creation and enforcement.

2:34p.m: He blamed the failure on conflict of personal interest of those involved in developing the centre. “That is where national interest comes in. We need to be patriotic and think less of personal interest when we are striving to achieve something for national goal”, the virologist said.

2:30 p.m: Mr Tomori, a professor, said the plan failed because there was little commitment to the goal. He explained that administrative bureaucracy played a role in the demise of the Yaba vaccine production programme. The professor also gave a brief history on the establishment of the Yaba vaccine centre.

2: 28 p.m: The lead facilitator, Aanu Rotimi, asks Mr Tomori, a virologist, to explain why the establishment of the vaccine centre in Yaba Lagos failed despite years of investment.

2:19p.m: Question and Answer session:

2:13p.m: Ms Aribo said while engaging with lawmakers, there is need to also engage the executive arm of government to further vaccine manufacturing.

2:12 p.m: She said before engaging with legislators for vaccine production and distribution, there is a need to review the system already on ground and then “send a revision paper on where we are and where we want to be”.

2:11 p.m: Ms Aribo said her organisation played an important role in the addition of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) on the health budget for the first time in 2018. The official said stakeholders engagement played a vital role in the eradication of polio through mass immunisation.

2: 08 p.m: She also explained that her organisation engages with the legislators. “We also work with other CSOs and media. We scope the landscape to fish out relevant stakeholders to pool them into a meeting where the legislators can be engaged on relevant health issues.”

2:05 p.m: Juliana Aribo, the national team lead for the Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL), speaks on the role of Nigeria’s parliament towards advancement of vaccine production. She explains how her organisation is galvanizing support for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by mapping the legislators as the relevant stakeholders.

01:44 p.m: He has concluded his presentation.

01:42 p.m: Mr Ohanyido said one of the goals is to reduce mortality from vaccine preventable diseases. Another one is to leave no one behind as stipulated by SDGs 2030 and ensure good health and well being for everyone.

01:39 p.m: He said the third aim is to repair disruption of resources.

01:37 p.m: He said the second aim is to prioritise rapid equitable scale up of COVID-19 vaccines. “For the many countries without adult immunisation programmes, this presents a major challenge,” he said.

01:36 p.m: He said IA2030 looks at seizing the opportunity for a comprehensive response. He noted that a pivotal moment for immunisation exists and implementation of IA2039 will initially focus on a comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a repair to the damage it has caused

01:35 p.m: He said the framework looks at ownership. It also has the evaluation and implementation component.

01:33 p.m: He said the operational framework of IA2030 was approved by the World Health Assembly.

01:32 p.m: He said the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a large chunk of resources from other health issues. He said this reality led to the birth of IA2030.

01:30 p.m: He said misinformation is one of the major tools that has shaped people’s perception of immunisation. He said the social media space has made the spread of wrong information very easy. He said more enlightenment needs to be done to ensure people consume the right information.

01:28 p.m: Mr Ohanyido, the DG of WAIPH, has taken to the podium to discuss “Immunisation Agenda 2030: A global strategy to leave no one behind”.

01:20 p.m: Ms Traore has ended her presentation.

01:19 p.m: She said African leaders must carry along stakeholders, partners, CSOs and experts in their plan for vaccine production. She said CSOs must also step up their support for the government.

01: 18 p.m: Valerie Traore, the Executive Director of NIYEL, is speaking virtually. Ms Traore said the role of CSOs in health development cannot be overlooked.

01:14: p.m: Mr Alemu has concluded his presentation.

01:12 p.m: He noted that resource mobilisations and surveillance must also be put in place. “Resource is needed and it must be properly mobilised,” he said.

01:08 p.m: Mr Alemu said coordination is also required to achieve vaccine production in the region. He said the involvement of private sector is also needed to reach this target.

01:07 p.m: He said based on this, Africa must step up its plans to begin vaccine production. He said for a region to have adequate vaccines for its people, it should have a vaccine production plant within the region.

01:05 p.m: He said the goals states that everyone irrespective of country, age or race must fully benefit from vaccine. He said this is to ensure growth and well-being of everyone.

01:04 pm: He said immunisation also plays a critical role in achieving major aspects of the SDGs by 2030.

01:02 p.m: Mr Alemu said effective vaccinations have been proven to save many lives every year. He said the case for immunisation is clear and every child deserves a chance to live.

01:00 p.m: Wondi Alemu, a former WHO senior advisor, Africa, and Nigeria WHO representative, is also speaking virtually.

12:55 p.m: Ms Khan has ended her presentation.

12:53 p.m: She said the region also lacks the technology required for any country to start producing vaccines.

12:50 p.m: She said Africa lacks the experience in vaccine production which is a major challenge. She said foreign countries have invested time, resources, research over the years into producing vaccines.

12:48 p.m: She said the visibility of vaccine production in Africa is to overcome those challenges posed. She said political will must be present to begin with.

12:47 p.m: Majority of African countries have no presence of production facility, some stopped producing while very few are still producing vaccines. “We have to change this narrative,” she said.

12:45 p.m: She said Africa has the highest mortality rate caused by preventable diseases and yet lack capacity to produce vaccines.

12:42 p.m: Ms Khan said the argument for vaccine production is increasing and it’s a good development. There is no other way to say this, African countries must begin their vaccines production, she said.

12:40 p.m: Ferhat Khan, the senior advisor, United Nations SDGs professional support group for Africa, is speaking virtually on “What should be top priorities for local vaccine manufacturing agenda”.

12:33 p.m: He said this can be achieved with setting and implementation of policies. Mr Nasidi has finished his presentation and leaves the podium.

12:30 p.m: He said with the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world and the possibility of other unforeseen pandemics, African leaders must act now to begin the process of locally producing vaccines for their people. “We must act fast to save the future of this region,” he said.

12:27 p.m: “We could do it, we did it and we can do it again,” he said. He said the issue is that the government does not believe in its citizens. What happened? Why did we stop manufacturing vaccines? Mr Nasidi asked.

12:25 p.m: He said in those days when Nigeria was producing vaccines, it played a key role in the fight against small pox and yellow fever. He said if the country can resume its vaccines production, a lot of issues including inadequacy will be resolved.

12:24 p.m: Mr Nasidi said Africa needs to start producing its vaccines as soon as possible. He said even Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, stopped producing vaccines a long time ago.

12:23 p.m: Now the event continues and Abdulsalami Nasidi, the pioneer director of NCDC, takes the podium.

12:22 p.m: The issues have been resolved and tea break is over.

11:46 a.m: It’s time for tea break

11:27 a.m: There is a break in transmission due to some circumstances. We will be back shortly

11:22 a.m: “Let us make every year a year of vaccination not a year of vacillation,” Mr Tomori said as he leaves the podium.

11:20 a.m: He said the decision made today will prepare the region for future pandemics. “It may be too late for COVID-19, but we can prepare for the unforeseen ones because more will come,” he said.

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11:17 a.m: Mr Tomori said Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populous nation, must set the ball rolling for other African countries to follow.

11:15 a.m: He said for Africa to witness growth, leaders must adopt the knowledge and capacity of young persons for physical development in the country.

11:13 a.m: He said countries producing vaccines today have invested in research and development for many years. He said the COVID-19 vaccines came from lots of research work. He said this is one part Africa is still lagging in; research and development.

11:10 a.m: He said each African country must bring something to the table to achieve the target of vaccine production. He said, for instance, countries that bring raw materials, get raw deals.

11:08 a.m: He said Africa is responsible for its problem and must act fast to save the future of the region.

11:07 a.m: On vaccine inequity, he said Africans’ over-dependency on foreign countries is dangerous to the health of everyone, especially children. He said Africans were amongst the last persons to receive the COVID-19 vaccines because the suppliers must fulfil the needs of their people before sending some doses out.

11:06 a.m: He also said the Nigerian government must be held accountable in every way possible.

11:05 a.m: Mr Tomori said the country must follow the principles that govern SDGs to achieve its goals by 2030.

11:03 a.m: He said there are lots of obstacles preventing the country from moving towards achieving the SDGs.

11:02 a.m: He said Nigeria is ranked 159 amongst 162 countries, placing Nigeria at the bottom despite having one of the world’s largest population.

11:00 a.m: He said good health is a fundamental right of every human. He said Nigeria is still far behind in achieving the set SDGs.

10:59 a.m: He said each country pledged to implement the SDGs, pointing out that it’s a global goal.

10:58 a.m: He said the concept of Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure no one is left behind. He said there are 17 SDGs meant to ensure this is achieved.

10:57 a.m: Mr Tomori said in many countries, governments hold the people to ransom for not doing what they are supposed to do. He said the only persons who can deliver the people and start holding the government accountable for what they are meant to do are the CSOs.

10:55 a.m: Oyewale Tomori, a virologist, takes the podium to make a presentation on equitable vaccine access, resilient communities, addressing the sub-themes related to global strategies for leaving no one behind, decolonising vaccine production and strengthening the vaccine learning ecosystem.

10:53 a.m: He said some virologists, professors and other persons will today talk about every aspect of vaccine production.

10:52 a.m: Mr Ohanyido said the event was scheduled to hold during the vaccination week to further highlight the importance of local vaccine productions in the African region.

10:51 a.m: He said the involvement of CSOs is important for Africa to set the road towards local vaccine production.

10:50 a.m: He said the COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of vaccines in changing lives.

10:49 a.m: Mr Ohanyido said there are issues related to vaccinations which must first be addressed. He said one of the biggest challenges is poor health literacy, especially in rural communities.

10:47 a.m: Francis Ohanyido, the director-general of WAIPH, said we are here for the betterment of the region and Nigeria.

10:45 a.m: A representative of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Orji James, said the importance of immunisation cannot be overstated. Mr James said the party will put vaccination at the front burner of its agenda ahead of the 2023 general elections.

10:42 a.m: She said the council has taken it upon itself to educate women on the importance of vaccines for their children. She said vaccines can save more lives if people accept them.

10:41 a.m: Ms Adamu said persons in the grassroots are missing the benefit of vaccinations because of low awareness and vaccine inadequacy.

10:40 a.m: The president of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Lami Adamu, said partnership is important to achieving vaccine production in Africa.

10:38 a.m: Ms Ajala said the media plays a vital role in every aspect of a country’s growth, including vaccine production.

10:37 a.m: A representative of the media, Folakemi Ajala, takes the podium. She said the involvement of the media in health development is very important.

10:36 a.m: Mr Ukpai said this is a testament to the effectiveness of vaccines. He said the knowledge from this symposium will push Africa toward the road of vaccine production. He said African governments are doing well but more can be done to ensure vaccine production begins in Africa.

10: 35 a.m: It is time for goodwill messages. A representative of CSOs, Stanley Ukpabi, who is also the director of project at dRPC said vaccinations work and the world has been able to overcome polio with the use of vaccines

10:25 a.m: Participants introduce themselves and state their expectations for this event.

10:23 a.m: She said the onset of the pandemic has prompted the need for urgent vaccine production in Africa, a continent with billions of people.

10: 21 a.m: The event begins with the second stanza of the National anthem. 10: 22 a.m- Ms Rotimi said the event is timely as it marks the 2022 Africa Vaccination Week.

10:20 a.m: All is set for the commencement of the event. The lead facilitator, Aanu Rotimi, welcomes the participants to the event.

9:33 a.m: This event may likely commence at 10:00 a.m as more participants arrive.

9:30 a.m: Participants are trooping into the hall and registration is ongoing.

9:05 a.m: This session was expected to commence by 9:00 am, unfortunately it will be starting late as participants are yet to settle in.

9:00 a.m: It’s a beautiful Wednesday morning here in Abuja and PREMIUM TIMES is live at the high-level symposium organised to push for more awareness on the need for immunisation and investment in vaccine production in Africa.