By: Kanto
Kai Okanta
South Africa is seeking to
strengthen its domestic vaccine manufacturing capabilities through deeper
collaboration between the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation
(DSTI) and biopharmaceutical company Biovac.
The Director-General of the
DSTI, Dr Mlungisi Cele, visited Biovac, a Cape Town-based vaccine manufacturing
company, on Friday, 6 November, to gain deeper insight into its operations,
understand the challenges facing the sector and explore opportunities to
strengthen collaboration.
The engagement focused on
advancing South Africa’s health innovation and biomanufacturing ambitions, with
particular emphasis on innovation, skills development, research translation and
sustainable vaccine production on the African continent.
Biovac was established in
2003 through a public-private partnership with the South African Government,
with the shared objective of building and strengthening local and continental
vaccine self-reliance.
Dr Cele described the
longstanding partnership as making Biovac a critical strategic partner of the
DSTI in advancing the country’s health innovation and biomanufacturing
ambitions.
The visit also provided an
opportunity for both institutions to reflect on progress made over the years
and discuss ways to deepen their collaboration in support of South Africa’s
vaccine manufacturing capacity and the broader development of Africa’s biopharmaceutical
sector.
