The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has advanced discussions with Aspen Pharmacare on a long-term demand and supply alignment framework aimed at strengthening sustainable vaccine manufacturing in Africa. According to the Africa CDC, the engagement reflects a shared commitment to building viable and sustainable markets for African-made vaccines and advancing Africa's Health Security and Sovereignty Agenda.
The centre noted that the initiative aims to improve long-term demand visibility for manufacturers, enabling greater investment confidence while supporting reliable access to regionally produced vaccines for African countries. Africa continues to rely on imports for most of its vaccine needs despite consuming more than one billion vaccine doses annually. The proposed collaboration seeks to address this imbalance by exploring a multi-year framework focused on strengthening local manufacturing capacity and supply security.
Africa CDC stated that the framework would support a progressive scale-up of supply, with the potential to reach tens to hundreds of millions of doses annually over time, alongside competitive and sustainable pricing approaches aligned with market benchmarks. Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya, said the discussions with Aspen represent an important step toward translating Africa's vaccine manufacturing ambitions into sustainable market realities. Kaseya noted that Africa CDC remained committed not only to supporting local manufacturing but also to working with partners to strengthen demand visibility, advance sustainable procurement approaches, and create viable market opportunities for African manufacturers.
“Ultimately, this is about securing reliable access and supply security for the continent through African-led production,” he said. Also speaking, Aspen Group Chief Executive, Stephen Saad, said the company remained committed to being an African vaccine manufacturer of choice. “We can make a meaningful contribution towards decreasing dependency on global imports by providing vaccine solutions for Africans,” he said. Saad added that Aspen's multi-billion-rand investment in sterile manufacturing capability in Gqeberha, South Africa, had positioned the company to manufacture vaccines at scale. He further noted that the company could leverage its supply chain infrastructure to distribute vaccines across the continent, just as it currently distributes medicines to more than 115 countries worldwide.
Africa CDC and Aspen are expected to further explore mechanisms to align procurement, financing and risk-sharing approaches, including through continental demand aggregation platforms and the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM). The engagement forms part of broader consultations led by Africa CDC with African manufacturers to strengthen local vaccine production and advance health security across the continent.
Meanwhile, Africa CDC said it was closely monitoring reports of a cluster of hantavirus infections identified among travellers aboard the international cruise ship MV Hondius, which departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on March 20, 2026, for the Canary Islands via Cabo Verde. Hantaviruses are primarily transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodent excreta, saliva or urine and are not typically associated with sustained human-to-human transmission. However, Africa CDC noted that the clustering of cases among travellers in a confined environment warranted heightened vigilance and further investigation to determine the source and mode of exposure. The centre advised travellers to maintain good hygiene, avoid contact with rodents or potentially contaminated environments, and seek medical attention if they develop symptoms such as fever, fatigue, muscle aches or respiratory difficulty after travel.
