Norway-based Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD), Africa have announced a partnership that will advance equitable access to vaccines in Africa and contribute to the African Union’s goal of increasing African manufacturers’ share of vaccine supply to the continent to 60% by 2040.

The collaboration will boost the manufacturing of affordable vaccines at IPD’s facilities in Dakar, and reserve capacity to produce vaccines specifically for Global South countries during future outbreaks and pandemics to combat the kind of inequity that characterised the response to COVID-19.

CEPI is creating a new network of vaccine manufacturers in Global South countries to substantially increase the world’s capacity and capability to produce vaccines against emerging outbreaks and pandemic threats.

IPD will initially receive up to $15 million in grant funding over three years, with the option to extend the partnership’s scope and funding to a total of up to $50 million over 10 years. 

The first phase of the partnership will support the development and sustainability of IPD’s manufacturing facilities for routine and outbreak vaccinations across multiple vaccine technologies and prepare them to begin supplying vaccines to Global South countries within 100 days of a new pathogen being identified.