Africa: Coronavirus

(asked on 21st April 2022) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for (a) long-term continental health system strengthening and (b) covid-19 recovery in Africa if plans for production of the Johnson & Johnson covid-19 vaccine in South Africa are ended as a result of a lack of orders.


Answered by
Amanda Milling Portrait
Amanda Milling
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This question was answered on 28th April 2022

Increased and diversified manufacturing of affordable, quality and effective vaccines will save lives, strengthen health services, and improve preparedness for future pandemics. COVID-19 vaccine availability has improved across Africa since late 2021. The UK is working with COVAX to increase coverage further in countries with weak health systems, prioritising the most vulnerable such as the elderly. We are supporting the Africa Centres for Disease Control's "Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing" by providing detailed market analysis on priority vaccines for the region, to inform manufacturers' and investors' planning. We have also provided technical support to develop business cases for vaccine production in South Africa, Senegal, and Morocco. Our approach contributes to sustainable vaccine manufacturing in the medium and longer term across Africa through commercially viable businesses operating within a well-developed ecosystem of skilled workers, innovative technology, and effective regulation.

The UK works with COVAX, WHO, Unicef and other partners in Africa to support strong and resilient national health systems. This includes improving public health functions such as surveillance, community engagement and vaccine confidence to prevent and prepare for future disease outbreaks and managing COVID-19 through integrating vaccination and access to tests and treatment as part of primary health care.

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