Mastercard Foundation enters $45m partnership to manufacture vaccines in Africa
Canadian-based Mastercard Foundation has entered a multi-year partnership with the Senegalese Foundation Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) aimed at human capacity development for vaccine manufacturing.
The historic $ 45 million partnership named MADIBA (Manufacturing in Africa for Disease Immunization and Building Autonomy) will equip young Africans especially women with skills in vaccine manufacturing, research, production and distribution. A training centre will be set up to support the activities.
The goal of MADIBA syncs with the Senegalese government’s initiative “Plan Sénégal Émergent” (Emerging Senegal Plan) aimed at attaining self-sufficiency in the country’s pharmaceutical products by 2035. It also aligns with the African Union’s (AU) vision of fulfilling 60% of the continent’s vaccine needs by 2040.
The MADIBA initiative comes on the heels of vaccine inequality experienced during the covid-19 pandemic and the need for Africa to develop the capacity in meeting its future vaccine needs.
The health safety and economic security of Africans is of great concern not just to Mastercard but to the African Union (AU) and ensuring vaccine production locally forms a key pillar in the A.U’s agenda 2063.
The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) had earlier in February this year set up the Regional Capability and Capacity Centre Network (RCCCN), tailored towards talent development for manufacturing and research, and selected the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) as its pioneer centre.
Amadou Sall- CEO of IPD believes the partnership with Mastercard will foster human capital development for biomanufacturing in Africa.
According to him “The project is a crucial pillar for vaccine equity and autonomy and a significant driver for high-skilled job creation among young and female Africans.
We aim to train a workforce for MADIBA and other African vaccine manufacturers, develop partnerships with African universities and promote science education among young students.
We extend our gratitude to the Mastercard Foundation for investing in our mission to accelerate equitable and sustainable access to health in Africa along with other financial and technical partners of the MADIBA project,”
Before this partnership, Mastercard runs the Saving Lives and Livelihoods Initiative- a partnership with the Africa CDC to save the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in Africa, hastening the continent’s economic recovery.
President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation Reeta Roy describes the partnership and the MADIBA project as a continuation of the Saving Lives and Livelihood Initiatives of the Mastercard Foundation.
In his words, “This partnership builds on the game-changing intent of the Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative. That is, to keep everyone safe by rolling out COVID-19 vaccinations while ensuring Africa’s long-term health security by building vaccine manufacturing expertise and workforce on the continent. In the process, our collaboration will also benefit the livelihoods of young people in Africa.”
It is hoped that the partnership brings about the rapid development of formally trained personnel in Africa to support vaccine development initiatives in Africa.
