Ramaphosa lauds SA’s ‘landmark’ m-RNA technology transfer hub
President Cyril Ramaphosa has lauded South Africa’s successful bid for the m-RNA technology transfer hub as a historic victory in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
The country made a joint announcement with France and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on plans for Africa’s first Covid-19 vaccine facility using messenger RNA.
The m-RNA is considered a breakthrough in the global inoculation effort because of its potential to quickly and easily adapt to variants of concern.
The hub will serve as a training facility on the production of vaccines.
At least 50 proposals were received - half of which from companies interested in providing technology and the other half from companies eager to receive training.
READ: SA set to host vaccine tech transfer hub
African Biologics and Biovac will be involved in the South African, although it remains unclear where in SA the hub will be located.
Ramaphosa described the move as a step in the right direction for the country and the continent at large.
“Today marks an important milestone towards the achievement of one of the critical objectives of the African Union’s Agenda 2063: the Africa we want.
“The ability to manufacture vaccines, medicines and other health-related commodities will help to put Africa on a path to self-determination. Through this initiative and others, we will change the narrative of an Africa that is a centre of disease and poor development,” he said.
Ramaphosa added the hub is a medium-term solution to the inaccessibility of vaccines.
“Debates around improved access to medicines, diagnostics and vaccines have been ongoing for many years. We therefore thank the WHO for taking this bold step and commend Member States for moving us from discussions to real work and realistic development.
“South Africa welcomes the opportunity to host a vaccine technology transfer hub and to build on the capacity and expertise that already exists on the continent to contribute to this effort.
“With this investment of technology, knowledge and expertise, we will go beyond the development and manufacture of vaccines into a new era of innovation and progress.”
According to Ramaphosa, the hub will not take away from calls to implement a temporary Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver - an agreement that would see vaccine manufacturers share their knowledge and technology.
“Today is historic and we see it as a step in the right direction but it does not detract us from our original proposal put together by India and South Africa that we should see a waiver of TRIPS at the World Health Organisation.”
“We would like to the negotiations that are taking place there to proceed with speed because people in Africa are facing a rising wave of infections.”
