This archive report was first published on 7 May 2021.
Published on May 7, 2021
Rwanda is taking a significant step towards ensuring vaccine equity by negotiating with Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers to produce the jab locally, officials have said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is working to establish permanent vaccine production capacity in regions where it is currently mostly absent, with a focus on low and middle-income countries.
President Paul Kagame emphasized the importance of producing vaccines where they are needed, stating, “Rwanda is working with partners to bring the first mRNA manufacturing facility to Africa. So long as Africa remains dependent on other regions for vaccines, we will always be at the back of the queue, whenever there is scarcity.”
Dr. Tharcisse Mpunga, Rwanda’s Minister of State in Charge of Primary Healthcare, expressed hope that the negotiations with partners willing to manufacture vaccines in Rwanda will be fruitful.
With a target of vaccinating 60% of the population, approximately 7.5 million people, by June 2022, Rwanda currently faces a significant challenge in meeting its vaccination targets. Only 4% of the population has received the first dose of the vaccine, and delivery of the second doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to Kigali is experiencing delays due to India's suspension of vaccine exports.
