Thread by @WHO

LIVE: Media briefing on expanding local pharmaceutical manufacturing with Dr Tedros twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

"Vaccines are among the most powerful inventions in human history. Thanks to vaccines, smallpox is no more, polio is on the brink of eradication, and once-feared diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, measles and meningitis can now be easily prevented"-@DrTedros #VaccinesWork

@DrTedros "And of course, vaccines have helped to change the course of the #COVID19 pandemic. But this scientific triumph has been undermined by vast inequities in access to these life-saving tools"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1496487901089120258?s=20&t=3LKIU1oTaRr1ms0C13zmtw

@DrTedros "Much of this inequity has been driven by the fact that globally, vaccine production is concentrated in a few mostly high-income countries"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1496488055686979584?s=20&t=3LKIU1oTaRr1ms0C13zmtw

@DrTedros "One of the most obvious lessons of the #COVID19 pandemic, therefore, is the urgent need to increase local production of vaccines, especially in low- and middle-income countries"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros "In June 2021, we announced our decision to establish an mRNA Technology Transfer Hub in 🇿🇦, as a partnership between WHO, Afrigen Biologics, Biovac, 🇿🇦 Medical Research Council, @AfricaCDC, @MedsPatentPool & with support from 🇧🇪, 🇨🇦, 🇫🇷, 🇩🇪, 🇳🇴, 🇪🇺 & @_AfricanUnion"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @AfricaCDC @MedsPatentPool @_AfricanUnion "The aim of the hub is to provide a facility where manufacturers from low- and middle-income countries can receive training in how to produce certain vaccines, and the licenses to do so"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1496489096058970116?s=20&t=3LKIU1oTaRr1ms0C13zmtw

@DrTedros @AfricaCDC @MedsPatentPool @_AfricanUnion "We believe the mRNA Technology Transfer Hub holds huge promise, not just for increasing access to vaccines against #COVID19, but also for other diseases including malaria, tuberculosis and cancer"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @AfricaCDC @MedsPatentPool @_AfricanUnion "And it’s already producing results, with Afrigen’s announcement that it has produced its own mRNA vaccine candidate"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1496489350292557830?s=20&t=3LKIU1oTaRr1ms0C13zmtw

@DrTedros @AfricaCDC @MedsPatentPool @_AfricanUnion "Producing mRNA vaccines poses some barriers to low- and middle-income countries, including their cost, and the fact that they require a cold chain that is difficult and expensive to implement. It also requires a skilled and trained workforce"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @AfricaCDC @MedsPatentPool @_AfricanUnion "Currently, biomanufacturing training facilities are located mainly in high-income countries, and operate on a fee-based system, putting them out of reach for many lower-income countries"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @AfricaCDC @MedsPatentPool @_AfricanUnion "That’s why today, WHO, the 🇰🇷, & the #WHOAcademy are announcing the establishment of a global biomanufacturing training hub that will serve low- & middle-income countries that wish to produce not just 💉, but other biologics, incl. insulin & monoclonal antibodies"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @AfricaCDC @MedsPatentPool @_AfricanUnion "The Government of the Republic of #Korea has offered a large facility that conducts biomanufacturing training locally, and will expand its operations to accommodate trainees from other countries"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1496489930402504705?s=20&t=3LKIU1oTaRr1ms0C13zmtw

@DrTedros @AfricaCDC @MedsPatentPool @_AfricanUnion "The #WHOAcademy will support this effort by helping to develop a comprehensive curriculum on biomanufacturing"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1496490057431146499?s=20&t=3LKIU1oTaRr1ms0C13zmtw

"The first two countries to join the mRNA Technology Transfer Hub last year were Argentina and Brazil. Companies from both countries are already receiving training"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros "Last week, we announced the first six African countries that will receive technology to produce their own mRNA vaccines: Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros "Today we’re announcing a further five: Bangladesh 🇧🇩, Indonesia 🇮🇩, Pakistan 🇵🇰, Serbia 🇷🇸 and Vietnam 🇻🇳"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros "It’s my honour to welcome His Excellency Dr Kwon Deok-chul, the Minister of Health and Welfare of 🇰🇷. Minister Kwon, thank you so much for your government’s support for this very exciting new initiative"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1496489930402504705?s=20&t=3LKIU1oTaRr1ms0C13zmtw

@DrTedros "Now to the four countries that will receive vaccine technology from the South African Hub, and receive training to produce it. We begin in @WHOSEARO region, with 🇮🇩. It’s my great pleasure to welcome Her Excellency @Menlu_RI, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of 🇮🇩"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @WHOSEARO @Menlu_RI "Shifting now to the @pahowho, it’s now my honour to welcome Dr @carlavizzotti, the Minister of Health of 🇦🇷"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @WHOSEARO @Menlu_RI @pahowho @carlavizzotti "Now to @WHO_Europe, and it’s my privilege to welcome Dr Zlatibor Loncar, the Minister of Health of #Serbia 🇷🇸. Hvala, Minister Loncar for being with us today"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @WHOSEARO @Menlu_RI @pahowho @carlavizzotti @WHO_Europe "Finally, to the @WHOWPRO, where it’s my great pleasure to welcome His Excellency Dr Nguyen Thanh Long, the Minister of Health of 🇻🇳. Thank you for joining us today, and for #Vietnam’s participation in this exciting new initiative"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @WHOSEARO @Menlu_RI @pahowho @carlavizzotti @WHO_Europe @WHOWPRO "Our vision is that this initiative will pay dividends for many years to come, and help to save many lives, because we believe it’s a strategic solution to the challenges we face"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity