Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population announced
that the state-owned Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines
(VACSERA) has hosted a delegation from GenVax Egypt and China’s Minhai, as part
of efforts to localize production of a key childhood vaccine.
The visit aims to fast-track implementation of a “gap
analysis” plan required to activate an existing agreement between VACSERA and
GenVax Egypt. The contract focuses on the domestic manufacture of the
pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) on VACSERA’s local production lines.
Discussions were attended by Amir Gouda,
commissioner-general of the Egyptian Company for the Production of Sera,
Vaccines and Drugs.
Health ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said
activating the agreement would help meet Egypt’s national immunization
requirements through local manufacturing, while also paving the way for
expanded vaccine exports to regional and African markets.
He added that the project aligns with Egypt’s broader
strategy to support Africa in producing at least 60% of its vaccine needs
locally, reducing reliance on imports and generating significant economic
savings across the continent.
Sherif El-Fil, managing executive director of the
holding company, said the parties had agreed to full cooperation between their
technical teams to complete the gap analysis as a preparatory step towards full
activation of the contract.
El-Fil added that the initiative supports Egypt’s
strategic goals of localizing vaccine production and strengthening health
security at both national and regional levels.
Source: Daily News Egypt