WHO, Brazzaville – While the race to find safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines continues, African countries are signing up to a ground-breaking initiative, which aims to secure at least 220 million doses of the vaccine for the continent, once licensed and approved.

1. African countriesengagingin ground-breakingCOVID-19 vaccine initiative
WHO, Brazzaville –While the race to findsafe andeffectiveCOVID-19vaccinescontinues,African
countriesare signingupto a ground-breakinginitiative,whichaimstosecure at least220 million
dosesof the vaccine for the continent,once licensedandapproved.
All 54 countriesonthe continenthave expressedinterestinCOVAX,aglobal initiativewhichisco-led
by the CoalitionforEpidemicPreparednessInnovations(CEPI),Gavi,the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and
the World HealthOrganization(WHO).The partnersare workingwithgovernmentsand
manufacturerstoprocure enoughvaccine dosestoprotectthe most vulnerablepopulationsonthe
continent.Throughthe Gavi-coordinatedCOVAXFacility,the initiativeseekstoensure accessforall:
bothhigherand middle-income countrieswhichwillself-finance theirownparticipation,andlower-
middle income andlow-income countrieswhichwill have theirparticipationsupportedbythe
COVAXAdvance MarketCommitment(AMC).
There are eightcountriesinAfricathathave agreedtoself-finance theirvaccine dosesthroughthe
COVAXFacility.Thisexpressionof interestwill turnintobindingcommitmentstojointhe initiative
by 18 September,withupfrontpaymentstofollow nolaterthan9 October2020.
“Equatorial Guineahassignedupto COVAXasit’sthe most effectivewaytoensure thatour people
can access COVID-19vaccines,”saidHonMitoha Ondo’OAyekaba,Vice MinisterforHealthand
Social Welfare,Equatorial Guinea.“We are concernedassome wealthiercountrieshave made
movestosecure theirowninterests.We believethatthroughthisinitiative we canaccess
successfullytestedvaccinesinatimelymannerandat lowercost.”
In addition,46countriesinAfricaare eligible forsupportfromthe financinginstrument,the COVAX
AMC whichhas raisedapproximatelyUS$700 millionagainstaninitial targetof securingUS$2
billionseedfundingfromhigh-incomedonorcountries,aswell asprivate sectorandphilanthropists
by the endof 2020.
“COVAXisa ground-breakingglobal initiativewhichwill include Africancountriesandensure they
are notleftat the back of the queue forCOVID-19vaccines,”saidDr MatshidisoMoeti,WHO
Regional DirectorforAfrica.“Byreachingbeyondthe continenttoworktogetherwithother
governmentsandmanufacturersonaglobal scale andpoolingbuyingpower,countriescanprotect
the people mostvulnerable tothe diseaseinAfrica.”
CEPI isleadingCOVAXvaccine researchandaimsto developuptothree safe andeffective vaccines
whichwill be made availabletocountriesparticipatinginthe COVAXFacility.Nine candidate
vaccinesare currentlybeingsupportedbyCEPI;twoare currentlybeingtestedinSouthAfrica,in
additiontootherregionsaroundthe world.
“It’scritical that countriesinAfricaparticipate invaccine trials,inadditiontothe clinical trialstaking
place inotherregionsof the world,”saidDr RichardHatchett,Chief ExecutiveOfficer,CEPI.“Testing
vaccinesonthe continentensuresthatsufficientdataisgeneratedonthe safetyandefficacyof the
mostpromisingvaccine candidatesforthe Africanpopulationsotheycanbe confidentlyrolledout
inAfricaonce vaccinesare approved. CEPIisinvestinginthe researchanddevelopmentof adiverse
range of vaccine candidates,withthe aimof deliveringsafe andeffectivevaccinestothose who
needthemmostthroughCOVAX.”

2. ThroughCOVAX,vaccinesthathave passedregulatoryapproval or WHOprequalificationwill be
deliveredequallytoall participatingcountries,proportional totheirpopulations.Healthworkersand
othervulnerable populationswill be prioritizedandthenvaccine availabilitywillexpandtocover
additional prioritypopulationsinparticipatingcountries.
Africancountrieswill needtohave inplace the rightsystemsandinfrastructure todefine the
regulatoryandethical pathwaysfora quickapproval of a candidate vaccine.Theywill needtohave
logisticsandsupplychainsystemswhichcanreachnotonlythe traditional targetpopulationsfor
routine immunizationsandcampaignsbutbe readyto vaccinate a much largertargetpopulation.
“To roll out a vaccine effectivelyacrosscountriesinAfrica,itiscritical thatcommunitiesare engaged
and understandthe needforvaccination,”saidDrRichardMihigo,Programme AreaManager,
ImmunizationandVaccine Development,ProgrammeAreaManager,ImmunizationandVaccine
Development,WHORegional OfficeforAfrica.“Itisimportantto alreadystartworkingwith
communitiestoprepare the wayforone of the largestvaccinationcampaignsAfricahasever
experienced.”
Dr Mihigo,Dr Hatchettand Vice MinisterMitohaOndo’OAyekabaparticipatedinavirtual press
conference onCOVID-19vaccine accessinAfricatodayfacilitatedbyAPOGroup.
AboutCEPI
CEPI isan innovative partnershipbetweenpublic,private,philanthropic,andcivil organisations,
launchedatDavos in2017, to developvaccinestostopfuture epidemics.CEPIhasmovedwithgreat
urgencyand incoordinationwithWHOinresponse tothe emergence of COVID-19.CEPIhasinitiated
nine partnershipstodevelopvaccinesagainstthe novel coronavirus.The programmesare leveraging
rapidresponse platformsalreadysupportedby CEPIas well asnew partnerships.
Before the emergence of COVID-19,CEPI’sprioritydiseasesincludedEbolavirus,Lassavirus,Middle
East RespiratorySyndrome coronavirus,Nipahvirus,RiftValleyFeverandChikungunyavirus.CEPI
alsoinvestedinplatformtechnologiesthatcanbe usedforrapidvaccine and immunoprophylactic
developmentagainstunknownpathogens(DiseaseX).