With the Covid-19 pandemic, the Senegalese government realized the need to turn to vaccine production. The State of Senegal « took major steps to meet the challenge of health security, notably by granting the land on which the Madiba site is located, by making a financial contribution and by supporting the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (Ipd) through the signing of major international partnership agreements ». Senegal has thus succeeded in building « a multi-dimensional vaccinopolis » in the town of Diamniadio.

At the inauguration of the Kigali Vaccinopole in December 2023, former President Macky Sall listed the components of this infrastructure. The Diamniadio Vaccinopole is to include « a complete production line for Arn messager vaccines, aseptic filling, packaging and storage, a bio-production skills center dedicated to building the skills of human resources, with the aim of attracting young people to the biotechnology sectors, which represent a major reservoir of jobs and opportunities, and a vaccine research center, from development to production ». Last March, Macky Sall laid the foundation stone for Davax (Dakar vaccine accelerator).

As indicated by Ipd, this « 3rd Vaccinopole infrastructure will serve two main purposes: to mobilize the essential expertise to develop vaccines relevant to the region from antigen discovery and design through to the development of vaccine candidates ». And also to establish « a unit to design and develop the vaccine portfolio to complement Ipd’s capacity to acquire and transfer new technologies ». With this vaccinopole, Senegal is on the road to the vaccine sovereignty so longed for in Africa.

By Dieynaba KANE / dkane@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH