Berlin (dpa) – German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is to visit the site in the Rwandan capital Kigali where Mainz-based pharma company BioNTech is building the first commercial mRNA vaccine factory on the African continent. The firm plans to produce mRNA-based vaccines for the African continent at the facility. Various mRNA vaccines such as the Covid-19 vaccine and, if approved, a whole host of other mRNA vaccines for diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria could potentially be produced in Kigali.
According to a Development Ministry spokeswoman, the German government is supporting the establishment of sustainable vaccine and pharmaceuticals production in Africa so that the continent is better equipped to deal with future pandemics. Germany is contributing more than 550 million euros – around 500 million euros of which comes from development cooperation funding – to help the African Union achieve its goal of having 60 percent of the vaccines consumed in Africa also produced there by 2040. Among other things, support is being provided to train skilled professionals, set up national regulatory authorities and create the necessary conditions for entrepreneurial activity.