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Govt tipped on building factory for vaccines
Sample of a Covid-19 shot bottle. PHOTO/NMG
A Ugandan scientist involved in vaccine development has asked the government to lobby international companies manufacturing Covid-19 jabs to set up production plants in the country.
Addressing MPs on the committee on Agriculture and National Economy on Friday, Dr Moses Dhikusooka, said Uganda should learn from the governments of Morocco and Singapore, which have teamed up with manufacturers of the vaccines in Europe, and started producing them locally.
“Morroco and Singapore teamed up with European companies and signed memoranda of understanding with local companies to send bulk vaccines to produce in small quantities to increase access and cover a bigger population,” he said.
Dr Dhikusooka, who is involved in the development of vaccines for treating Foot and Mouth Disease, explained that relying on international suppliers is complicated due to the high global demand for the vaccines. He explained that the developed economies will always take priority in the demand for vaccines, leaving developing countries with shortages.
Prof David Sserwadda, the chairperson of the Covid-19 vaccine committee, when contacted said there is no initiative in Uganda at the moment to partner with foreign manufacturers on production of Covid jabs locally but added that he would greatly support the move.
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He explained that Uganda is failing to access the required doses to vaccinate the population because of the current global demand for vaccines and several unforeseeable events such as India banning the exportation of AstraZeneca vaccines after it was hit by the pandemic.
He added that the shortage of vaccines has been worsened by the rich countries which are hoarding the jabs they purchased.
Dr Sserwadda explained that Uganda hopes to get more vaccines if the rich countries release more doses to the Covax facility, and the African Union gets those it ordered from the manufacturers, or if the Serum Institute of India lifts the ban on exports.
On Friday, lawmakers on the Committee on Agriculture and National Economy visited the National Livestock Resources Research Institute in Namulonge, to acclimatise themselves with the research going on there.
Dr Ambrose Agona, the director general of the National Agriculture Research Organisation, said Uganda is currently losing about Shs3.2 trillion annually to the burden of ticks, Foot and Mouth Disease, and African swine fever and no African country has come up with proposals for vaccine development.
