Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and Aspen Pharmacare are advancing discussions on a long-term vaccine demand and supply alignment framework aimed at strengthening sustainable vaccine manufacturing across Africa. The discussions were announced during the Africa Forward Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya, and reflect ongoing efforts to improve Africa’s health security and reduce dependence on imported vaccines.
The proposed collaboration focuses on building sustainable markets for African-made vaccines while supporting the continent’s broader Health Security and Sovereignty Agenda. Africa currently imports the vast majority of its vaccines despite consuming more than one billion vaccine doses annually. The discussions seek to address this imbalance by supporting stronger local manufacturing capacity and improving long-term vaccine supply security for African countries.
According to Africa CDC and Aspen, the discussions are initially focusing on priority vaccine antigens, a phased increase in manufacturing and supply volumes, and the development of competitive and sustainable pricing approaches aligned with international market benchmarks. The long-term framework could potentially support production volumes ranging from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of doses annually over time.
The initiative is expected to improve demand visibility for vaccine manufacturers, allowing greater investment confidence and encouraging further expansion of local production capabilities. At the same time, it aims to support more reliable access to regionally manufactured vaccines for countries across the continent.
Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya stated that the discussions represent an important step toward transforming Africa’s vaccine manufacturing ambitions into sustainable market realities. He emphasized that Africa CDC’s role extends beyond supporting local manufacturing to also strengthening procurement systems, improving demand forecasting, and creating viable market opportunities for African manufacturers.
Aspen Group Chief Executive Stephen Saad reaffirmed Aspen’s commitment to becoming a leading African vaccine manufacturer. He highlighted the company’s multi-billion-rand investment in sterile manufacturing facilities located in Gqeberha, South Africa, which provide large-scale vaccine manufacturing capabilities for the continent.
Aspen also noted that its extensive supply chain infrastructure positions the company to distribute vaccines across Africa in a manner similar to its existing pharmaceutical distribution operations, which currently reach more than 115 countries worldwide. The company manufactures a wide range of pharmaceutical products including injectables, oral medicines, biological products, and active pharmaceutical ingredients.
As part of the ongoing engagement, Africa CDC and Aspen are exploring mechanisms to better align procurement systems, financing models, and risk-sharing arrangements. Discussions include potential use of continental demand aggregation platforms and the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism to support sustainable vaccine access and regional manufacturing growth.
The engagement forms part of broader consultations being led by Africa CDC with African vaccine manufacturers and stakeholders involved in health product development and production. The organization stated that these discussions are intended to strengthen local manufacturing ecosystems, support supply chain resilience, and advance long-term health security across Africa.
Africa CDC emphasized that building sustainable vaccine manufacturing capacity on the continent remains a key strategic priority for improving preparedness, reducing reliance on global imports, and ensuring more reliable access to essential health products during future public health emergencies.
