Lectures and seminars "Vaccine Uptake in Africa" seminar series

17-04-2024 2:00 pm to
21-08-2024 4:00 pm Add to iCal

"Vaccine uptake in Africa" is an interactive series of workshops aimed at building competence and removing obstacles. The series will deep dive into all aspects of the African Vaccine Manufacturing ecosystem and how best to foster collaboration to achieve AU ambition of manufacturing 60% of vaccines needed. The seminar series is a collaboration between Karolinska Institutet, The Africa CDC, Charité Universitätsmediz in Berlin.

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the stark inequities in global vaccine production and uptake, in particular in Africa, which produces 1% of vaccines used in the region. Triggered by these inequities, the Framework for Action developed by the African Union outlines the PAVM and sets the ambitious goal of 60% of vaccines to be manufactured on the continent by 2040. 

This will require addressing the gaps and barriers in the various competency areas that are essential to achieve a successful vaccine value chain, such as laboratory practice, capacity building including research and M&E skillsclinical investigations, regulatory science, fill and finish, procurement processes, distribution, vaccine hesitancy, intellectual property rights and market pull.

To support this goal, a seminar series hosted by the Africa CDC, in collaboration with the Centre for Global Health, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden is planned from spring 2024 to mid-2024 on the aforementioned competency areas. The initiative, well in agreement with the scope of the AU-EU innovation agenda, aims to support cooperation in Science, Technology, and Innovation between Africa and Europe. 

Target audience

  • Academic students and scientists interested in increased vaccine access and production
  • Medical/ global health educators
  • Policymakers and government officials 
  • Regulatory authority personnel
  • Donors and manufactures
  • Civil society actors interested in the vaccine sector in Africa

Expected outcomes of the seminar series

  • Deepen knowledge of the vaccine value chain
  • Provide insights into African vaccine manufacturing
  • Develop practical skills for understanding vaccine development and distribution
  • Networking opportunities 
  • Enhanced understanding of global health security
  • Reveal obstacles to securing equitable distribution of vaccine production and uptake on a global scale

Information about the seminar sessions

  • The series will convene online every two weeks starting from 17 April 2024. 
  • Each seminar will consist of a 2 x 20-minute presentation by two paired experts in the field, followed by a live, moderated 45-minute online discussion with panellists and participants. 

Fees

No fees are required for participation.

Schedule for upcoming seminars