MPP’s Panel Discussion at the World Health Summit 2022
On Tuesday 18 October 2022 we co-hosted a session at the World Health Summit on the mRNA Technology Transfer Hub: Towards Sustainability.
The mRNA technology transfer hub and spoke model aimed at empowering LMICs through sharing knowledge, building capacity, and creating a network of collaboration is on track to deliver in the Covid-19 space. It is now indisputable that to face future pandemics and ensure vaccine equity, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with strong R&D and manufacturing capacity, need to be part of the solution. Sustainability, however, requires an even greater commitment from all global health actors.
The session unpacked important considerations from:
- Developing new mRNA vaccines for other diseases (HIV, TB, & cancer)
- Producing the raw materials that are much needed for vaccine manufacturing
- Ensuring incentives for the trained workforce to remain in countries
- Having policies that are favourable to local production so that vaccines are readily available and procured in the region.
The purpose of the session was to identify key issues that will need to be addressed and set the stage towards collectively working on solutions to ensure sustainability of vaccines produced through the network of the mRNA technology transfer hub programme.