AVPA

Workshop On Enhancing Research and Transferable Skills for Vaccine Production and Innovation

Overview

This interdisciplinary training workshop is designed to enhance the capacity of African post-doc scholars and promote research and skills-sharing in the area of vaccine production and innovation among African countries.

Format: hybrid (in-person and virtual)

  • In-person: Ubumwe Grande Hotel, Kigali City Centre, Plot 1306, KN 67 Street, Kiyovu Cell, Nyarugenge Sector, Nyarugenge District, Kigali, Rwanda.
  • Online link: Will be shared upon registration
 

Objectives of the workshop

  • To enhance knowledge of vaccine production and innovation
  • To build research skills and linkages for vaccine production and innovation ecosystem at the post-doctoral level.
 

Background

African countries will need a regional approach to increase their domestic capacity for the production of vaccines and other pharmaceuticals in order to avert health security risks in the future should there be another global outbreak of disease. For example, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the continent needs to strengthen its pharmaceutical production capabilities. Presently, Africa only has a small number of countries with a significant manufacturing capacity. This challenge can be attributed to various factors, including weak regulatory systems, inadequate infrastructure, lack of investment in the industry, procurement challenges, limited local skills, intellectual property rights (IPRs) as well as low access to regional markets.

Similarly, the pharmaceutical innovation system in Africa comprises various stakeholders such as governments, private sector companies, research institutions, and non-governmental organizations involved in the development, distribution, and regulation of pharmaceuticals. Hence, increasing the capability of African pharmaceutical firms to respond to public health emergencies is crucial. To this end, this interdisciplinary training workshop is designed to enhance the capacity of African post-doc scholars and promote research and skills-sharing in the area of vaccine production and innovation among African countries.

Organizers

  • DSI-NRF South African Research Chair in Industrial Development (SARChI-ID), University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
  • East African Community, Regional Centre of Excellence for Vaccines, Immunization and Health Supply Chain Management (EAC RCE-VIHSCM), University of Rwanda, Rwanda.

Workshop Agenda (in Rwanda Time) -DAY 1 - Thursday 2 March 2023

Time SessionExpert
08:30 - 09:00 Registration
09:00 - 09:30Opening Session: Welcome Remarks
1. AVPAProf. Padmashree Gehl Sampath
2. EAC RCE-VIHSCMDr. Stephen Karengera
3. German Embassy, KigaliTBC
9:30 - 10:30 Introductory Session: Measuring and Understanding the Vaccine Production and Innovation Ecosystem FrameworkProf. Padmashree Gehl Sampath, Harvard University
10:30 - 11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 - 11:30 Introductions by participants and workshop aimsDr. Bertha Vallejo
Senior Research Associate, SARChi-TRCTI, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Dr. Daria Kim, Max Planck Institute, Germany
11:30 – 12:45Technology Transfer of Biopharmaceuticals, particularly VaccinesMr. Thomas Chataway, Lifesciences Consultant
12:45 - 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 15:15 Building Regulatory Capacity for Vaccine ProductionDr. Jude Nwokike
Vice President & Director, Promoting the Quality of Medicines Plus (PQM+) Program, United States Pharmacopeia
15.30-16.45Mass Vaccination and Public Health: Implementation Challenges Dr. Rebecca Weintraub
Assistant Professor, Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School
16:15 – 16.45 Coffee Break
16:45 – 17:45Recap Session by Workshop Facilitators Dr. Bertha Vallejo
Senior Research Associate, SARChi-TRCTI, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Dr. Daria Kim, Max Planck Institute, Germany
18:30 - 21:00 Workshop Dinner and Networking

Workshop Agenda (in Rwanda Time) - DAY 2 -Friday 3 March 2023

TimeSessionExpert
09:00 - 10:15Vaccine safety, Efficacy and Clinical ResearchDr. Danny Denolf, GIZ
10.15-11.15Intellectual Property Landscape in Africa: Considerations for Vaccine ProductionProf. Bryan Mercurio,
Professor of Law, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
11:15- 11:45Coffee Break
Workshop Photograph
11.45-12.45Setting up a Vaccine Production FacilityDr. Simon Agwele Director, African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative, South Africa (tbc
12:45 – 13:45A Review of Technology Transfer Agreements for Vaccines in Africa: What is Shared and HowProf. Fred Abbott, Florida State University USA
13:45 - 14:15Lunch
14:15 - 14:30Break-out Session Briefing
14:30 - 16:15Break-out Sessions
Session 1Session 2Session 3
R&D ecosystems for vaccinesTechnology transfer for vaccinesEfficacy, clinical trials and health systems linkages
16:15 – 17:15Presentations of Break-out Sessions and Discussions
17:15 - 17:45Workshop RecapDr. Bertha Vallejo
Dr. Daria Kim
17.45-18.00Closing RemarksProf. Padmashree Gehl Sampath