LETTER: Vaccine makers need state life support

Derisking a business venture requires trust and commitment. In the case of vaccine manufacturing in Africa, lining up buyers ahead of operations is crucial. Vaccines and medication are unlike other goods in that they are essential to a country’s security — as such, governments on the continent have a vested interest in having locked-down access to regional producers. 

While the demand for Covid vaccines has cooled, the infrastructure required for vaccines and treatments will still be needed to address Africa’s ongoing medical needs. Government commitment ensures the offtake that may just be needed to get such a venture to the critical mass it needs to become sustainable. Policies by local lawmakers should clear the way for companies such as Moderna,  while regional governments and associations would be laying strong foundations for health security if regulations were standardised across borders (as is being championed by the Africa Centres for Disease Control & Prevention).

An environment which does not promote the sustainability of ventures cannot support any pretence of outrage when such ventures fail to launch. Yes, Moderna’s withdrawal hurts all Africans, as the need for vaccines and medications extends beyond Covid. However, we need to be aware of the leading role that governments and agencies can play in creating a more enabling environment for the development of this sector in the long term. 

Michael Mynhardt
CEO and co-founder, MMH & Partners Africa

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