Buhari backs local production after exploratory talks
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed support for the production of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines in Nigeria based on talks between stakeholders, including biomedical scientists, Health Ministry officials, and BioNTech company.
He gave his backing at a meeting with KENUP Foundation Holm Keller, the Africa representative the CEO of BioNTech, the mRNA vaccine patent holder.
An mRNA vaccine is a type of vaccine that uses a copy of a molecule called messenger RNA to produce an immune response, according to Wikipedia.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adds that
- mRNA) vaccines teach our cells how to make a protein that will trigger an immune response inside our bodies.
- Researchers have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for decades.
- Like all vaccines, mRNA vaccines benefit people who get vaccinated by giving them protection against diseases like COVID-19 without risking the potentially serious consequences of getting sick.
Buhari enthused interactions between the parties would be productive, leading to collaborations at many levels, from clinical trials to research and development of new vaccines that would support vaccine manufacture facilities in Nigeria.
‘‘We are impressed with the numerous possibilities said to be around the mRNA technology and hence seek cooperation with well-intentioned organizations, including yours, to build a strong bilateral partnership with your company and your affiliate bodies, as science gets closer to understanding the possibilities around successful mRNA technology,” he said at the meeting in Aso Rock, Abuja.
‘‘We believe the mRNA technology will help solve other public health challenges too, especially those peculiar to our tropical environment.
‘‘As you conduct exploratory interactions with our scientists in the biomedical field and officials of the Ministry of Health, I look forward to receiving a commitment to expand collaboration to achieve our goal of developing capacities for Research & Development and manufacturing.’’
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Inequality in vaccine access
Buhari recounted the inequality in access to COVID-19 vaccines at the peak of the pandemic, saying many middle-income countries now appreciate the need for global decentralization and diversification of manufacturing of items critical for public health security.
‘‘KENUP Foundation will find in Nigeria, a suitable research & development ecosystem, in terms of human resource expertise and endemic, deadly disease challenges that require research to help to end with new vaccines.
‘‘Our reputable scientific community has the capacity to engage with you meaningfully in all caliber of research and to add value to your joint effort.
‘‘Nigeria has a long tradition in vaccine manufacturing and laboratories for microbiological research, both in private and public facilities, and also for human and veterinary vaccine research, established over 80 years ago.
“You will find in Nigeria, biosafety Level 3 laboratories and ongoing initiatives with trusted partners to develop Level 4 capacity too.
‘‘We have a vibrant Health Ethics Research Council and our WHO Maturity Level 3 certified Regulatory body, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control regulates vaccines, and have started the process to attain Maturity Level Four, that makes pharmaceutical products made in Nigeria, including vaccines, marketable abroad.”
‘‘We invest significantly in health, education, in Research and Development and encourage discovery and partnership in joint ventures, such as with a private pharmaceutical company to begin routine vaccines manufacturing in-country.’’
Research partnerships to benefit Africa
Keller described his organization as a public-benefit foundation dedicated to innovation in public health.
“The aim of our mission is to establish research partnerships, which would benefit Nigeria and Africa.
“We want to contribute to vaccine equity through manufacturing scheme suitable to the country. We are working on malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, monkeypox, and other vaccines, to be manufactured in Africa,” he said.
Keller disclosed plans to find African personalised treatment for cancer, which is only available to the richest of the rich in some parts of the world.
“We want to change that, and are working on therapeutic vaccines that can stop the growth of tumors. We want it to be available globally, and not just in wealthy countries. We want to explore opportunities in this domain, and support your good work.”