Is Africa ready to manufacture its own vaccines?

On the 26th October 2021, the University of Cape Town (UCT) will host “Vaccines in Africa from Africa”, a live event that will take a deep-dive look at the continent’s capacity for developing and manufacturing vaccines.

Gathering industry experts, scientists and business leaders, including keynote speaker, Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, philanthropist and Executive Chairman of ImmunityBio, the university hopes to highlight the critical need for a vaccine pipeline in Africa, and assess the challenges and opportunities that face such a step.

Among the speakers are:

• Professor Ed Rybicki, Director: UCT Biopharming Research Unit (BRU)

• Dr Thanos Kotsiopoulos, UCT Centre for Bioprocess Engineering (CeBER)

• Professor Tom Scriba, Laboratory Director: South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI)

• Professor Ntobeko Ntusi, Head: UCT Department of Medicine

• Professor Mary-Ann Davies, Director: UCT Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research (CIDER)

• Prof Rudzani Muloiwa, Head: UCT Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

A panel discussion, chaired by UCT’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, will feature Dr Morena Makhoana, Chief Executive Officer of the BioVac Institute, UCT’s Professor Anna-Lise Williamson, South African Research Chair in Vaccinology Research, Petro Terblanche, Managing Director of Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines, and Emeritus Professor Greg Hussey, Director of Vaccines for Africa (VACFA).

For more information about the event, visit https://bit.ly/3p27Ufn