Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, announced plans to invest an additional $189 million into bolstering Africa’s vaccine manufacturing sector. This investment will support the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), which is set to make its first cash disbursement to an African vaccine manufacturer in the latter half of 2026.
The initiative, branded AVMA+, is scheduled for presentation to Gavi’s board in July. It aims to tackle regulatory and market entry challenges that hinder investment in vaccine manufacturing. Additionally, AVMA+ will ensure guaranteed demand for African producers by committing to purchase up to 70 million doses directly through competitive tender processes.
In its first 18 months, AVMA has achieved significant milestones, securing thirteen individual technology transfer agreements that have enabled the establishment of commercial-scale manufacturing facilities across six African nations, noted Dr. Sania Nishtar, Chief Executive of Gavi. She asserted, “As our manufacturing partners continue down the pathway towards prequalification and full commercialisation, we believe that the new investments enabled by AVMA+ will accelerate the timelines for when African demand for vaccines will be met by local production.”
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted Africa’s dependency on imported vaccines, as the continent accounted for just 0.1 percent of global production while hosting 20 percent of the world’s population. This lack of local manufacturing put Africa at a disadvantage during the pandemic. To combat this issue, AVMA was launched in 2024 in collaboration with the African Union and Africa CDC. The program provides up to $1 billion in incentives to manufacturers that achieve critical regulatory and supply chain milestones, thereby offsetting the initial costs associated with vaccine development. Gavi indicated that the first vaccines produced in Africa with AVMA support could be available as early as 2027.
