Kigali, Rwanda (CU)_ The government of Rwanda plans to manufacture Covid-19 vaccines next year after BioNTech, a German pharmaceutical company, inaugurated the building of the facility that will house its two modular container prototypes in Rwanda. BioNTainers are anticipated to manufacture 50 million doses annually, utilizing the same mRNA technology as Pfizer and Moderna. Rwanda will get the containers by the end of the year, and production is anticipated to begin 12 to 18 months following installation.
At the foundation ceremony held in the Kigali Special Economic Zone in Rwanda, President Paul Kagame stated that the factory will be a major initiative in tackling vaccine disparity. The President said, “Rwanda intends to build on this investment by putting in place conditions to attract other manufacturers and innovators. Rwanda fully supports BioNTech’s commitment to power this factory with green energy, and we will work together to achieve that”.
According to June data from the World Health Organization (WHO), only two African nations, Mauritius and Seychelles, have fully vaccinated 70 percent of their whole population. Rwanda is aiming to accomplish this objective by the end of the month. According to BioNTech, one of the containers will manufacture mRNA vaccines and the other will produce formulated bulk medication. Plans are underway to produce malaria and TB vaccines at the same facility.
The modular systems comprise twelve shipping containers that have the same production process and equipment used in their plant. The Kigali facility is the first production center for mRNA technology, with additional facilities planned for Senegal and South Africa. Further, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tunisia will also be provided with essential technology to manufacture mRNA vaccines.
According to Prof Ugur Sahin, the CEO and co-founder of BioNTech, “We have reached the next milestone with the construction start of the first African mRNA manufacturing facility based on our BioNTainers – just four months after we introduced the BioNTainer concept in February”. According to him, the firm will be the first in an African network to provide sustainable manufacturing capacity for mRNA therapeutics. He said, “The goal we pursue together with governments and regulatory authorities is to produce vaccines for Africa here with highly skilled professionals from Africa”.
