Rwanda signed a Rwf 3.6 billion ($3.6 million) partnership with the European Union on Wednesday to assist the country in upgrading its laboratory capacity in order to attract investors interested in manufacturing Covid-19 vaccines.
The funding will be used to support Rwanda’s Foods and Drugs Authority in creating a robust quality control system for medical products, which will aid the authority in achieving World Health Organization accreditation (WHO).
“What we signed is a step to revamp and also strengthen the Rwanda Foods and Drugs Authority. The money we will receive from the EU will support the acquisition of laboratory equipment to make it a modern facility that will enable Rwanda to get a WHO certification,” Ms Clare Akamanzi, Chief Executive Officer, Rwanda Development Board told CNBC Africa on Thursday.
“The WHO certification we need for this will also build the confidence of investors who want to produce vaccines. They (investors) will be able to trust the regulatory capacity we want to strengthen with this funding.”
Rwanda intends to begin the production of coronavirus vaccines using mRNA technology in the coming months after securing international funding to develop local capacity.
Last week, Rwandan President Paul Kagame informed the Qatar Economic Forum that the negotiations with partners to produce vaccines domestically have progressed and the process will commence “in a few months.”
He was speaking soon after Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa were identified as prospective candidates for Africa’s regional Covid-19 vaccine production hubs.
“For Rwanda, in particular, we have partnered with some industries that are specialising in mRNA technology. So, we have already discussed that technology with people who will help with financing and I think in a few months we should hear a different story,” President Kagame said.
President Kagame also said Africa must be a partner on an equal footing with the rest of the world and produce vaccines as the continent continues to face scarcity.
