ZAMBIA has engaged Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance on its path to build a robust local pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in the bid to facilitate for the attainment of universal access to efficacious and safe vaccines at cost-effective rates.
And Gavi has since pledged to aid Zambia with expertise to build its pharmaceutical industry as that was priority to the Alliance.
Health Minister Sylvia Masebo highlighted to Gavi, Executive Director the need for the country to be supported in its quest as there was demand for vaccines not only in-country but in the Southern African Region considering the many public health threats and vaccine preventable diseases.
Ms Masebo shared that Zambia was strategically land-linked with a growing economy creating a conducive environment for investments.
This was shared at the side-lines of the on-going 76th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, at the Global Fund Headquarters.
Ms Masebo added that the country was grappling with a number of vaccine preventable diseases hence the need to set up a vaccine manufacturing industry that would lessen the burden and reduce the cost of vaccine acquisition.
The Minister’s quest is in tandem with President Hakainde Hichilema’s call for a viable Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Industry when he officiated the inaugural Zambia-EU Pharmaceutical Forum earlier this year.
In 2022, the Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo called for the strengthening of the local pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in order to help Zambia attain universal access to affordable efficacious and safe medicines during the Zambia Pharmaceutical Forum which gave birth to the Zambia-EU Forum.
In response, GAVI Director Core Countries Colette Selman informed the Zambian delegation that their request was in line with the Alliance’s priorities to bring new manufacturers and suppliers to the global space hence promising to offer Zambia the expertise required in the process.
Ms Selman said that adding more suppliers and manufacturers of vaccines would lower the costs of vaccine acquisition for emergency response.
Zambia, like many other countries, is faced with a burden of communicable diseases that could be vaccine prevented. For example, the on-going Polio and Measles outbreaks in Southern Africa are an indicator for systems strengthening and loud call for increased supply of vaccines in the region.
Going on a worldwide begging spree is not going to sort out our local Zambian problems. What this government needs to do is come back home and sort out the mining and agriculture sector. Raise money from these sectors and invest the money in areas like health. There is no country in world that has been developed by another country. For as long as minerals are being mined for free and looted out of the country and the agriculture sector is in shambles, we will forever be begging for white people to come and develop the country for us.
Dear kci, when the levels of debt from borrowing from white and chinese people by PF were through the roof, as well as accepting donor aid from bilateral while countries like the US, I hope you were as dismayed as you are now?
There is nothing wrong with an initiative that supports LOCAL manufacturing. Vaccine manufacturing is not going to happen overnight and without expertise and resources of those who have done it before.
I urge people to think before writing simplistic and thus unreal solutions to problems.
The likes of kci are the ones who were clapping when Lazy Lungu was borrowing like crazy for consumption
HH is still borrowing at a rate faster than Lungu. HH is not collecting taxes from his mining friends. Where does it leave this country. I am sure praise singing will be the only remaining career. This government failed at 14hrs after inauguration.
Not only did she go on begging Spree but she also went to boost her health and yet left you who voted for her without medicines in hospitals. Menopausal masebo is always angry, but just like her boss hh, she only smiles when in company of her whlte masters. Look at the picture
taking selfies is what this government is good at. Meanwhile no medicines in hospitals.
“Indians are coming to set up pharmaceutical industry’- RHETOLIC
‘Egyptians have pledged to start manufacturing drugs in Zambia”- RHETOLIC
All pledges have become RHETOLIC……And this rhetolic will not cure our people’s illness as drug shortage continues.
This is another organisation linked to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation who are very controversial when it comes to vacines especially in developing countries. They will give you a vacine even for a simple headache. All this is just for publicity you dont need this organisation to help you build a robust local manufacturing industry its not even one of its speciality.