By Ken Muthomi - Reporter
Kenya, May 17, 2026 - African countries could begin deploying locally manufactured vaccines as early as 2027, following an additional $189 million(approximately Ksh24.4 billion) investment proposal by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to accelerate vaccine production on the continent.
In a statement, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, said the additional funding would be channelled through a new initiative dubbed AVMA+, aimed at supporting Africa’s vaccine manufacturing sector. The proposal is expected to be presented to Gavi’s Board in July for approval.
The initiative aims to address regulatory and market-entry bottlenecks that are slowing vaccine production in Africa, as well as to support the procurement of up to 70 million doses of African-manufactured vaccines.
According to Gavi, Africa’s heavy reliance on imported vaccines was exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the continent struggled to secure sufficient doses amid the global rollout.
Despite the continent being home to 20 percent of the global population, it accounts for only 0.1 percent of the global vaccine production.
African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) was engineered in collaboration with the African Union and Africa CDC to prevent future vaccine supply shortages during health emergencies, and was launched in 2024.
Under the programme, the alliance committed up to US$1 billion (approximately Ksh129 billion) in incentives for manufacturers that achieve key regulatory and supply milestones.
Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, maintained that the initiative would not only have a positive impact on global health but also on the continent’s growing economy.
“As our manufacturing partners continue down the pathway towards prequalification and full commercialisation, we believe that the new investments enabled by AVMA+ will accelerate the timelines for when African demand for vaccines will be met by local production,” Sania Nishtar said.
Founded in 2000, Gavi is a global public–private partnership that supports low- and middle-income countries to access life-saving vaccines and strengthen routine immunisation.
Last year, it committed to increasing investment in fragile and humanitarian settings by 15 percent, during its next strategic period, Gavi 6.0 (2026-2030).
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