Nigeria to Start Producing COVID Vaccines, Along With 5 Other African Countries- WHO

• Nigeria has been chosen by the World Health Organisation to begin the production of COVID vaccines and will receive the technology required to make it possible

• The other five African countries that were selected to receive the technology from WHO’s hub are Egypt, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia

• Clinical trials for the vaccine production are expected to begin in the 4th quarter of this year, while approval for the vaccine will likely be granted by 2024

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that Nigeria and 5 other African countries have been selected to receive technology from the rub to manufacture their own mRNA COVID vaccines. The Director-General WHO Tedros Ghebreyesus disclosed this on Friday.

Asides from Nigeria, the other countries that have been chosen to benefit from this initiative are Egypt, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia. According to the WHO, these countries were selected as the first recipients of the technology for the organisation’s vaccine hub to ensure that African countries are well-equipped to battle COVDI 19 and other diseases.

The WHO DG also divulged that clinical trials for the production of the vaccines will begin by the 4th quarter of the year, although approval may not be granted will 2024. Although the benefit of the initiative may not be immediately evident, Ghebreyesus expects that the rewards will extend beyond COVID 19.

Read also: Needle-free COVID 19 Vaccine Tested in the UK

Once developed, these countries will have a platform for vaccines against diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria, he said.

Meanwhile WHO will work with companies and the government in each country to develop a roadmap for training and production of the COVID vaccines.

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