The head of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala says facilities will be established in South Africa, Senegal, and Rwanda, with Nigeria also being considered, to create hubs for the production of COVID-19 vaccines. Africa is working with the European Union and other partners to make the above a reality. Okonjo-Iweala, who revealed this during a virtual meeting on Monday said this will help build equitable access.
“We have now seen that over-centralization of vaccine production capacity is incompatible with equitable production capacity is incompatible with equitable access in a crisis situation,” she said.
“Regional production hubs, in tandem with open supply chains, offer a move promising path to preparedness for a future health crisis.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "delighted" by the news, saying the South Africa hub was going to be the first of many.
