Health Minister opens first production line of ‘Hepatitis B and Pentavalent’ vaccines in Egypt

Getty Images

The future plan of the Ministry of Health and Population, to produce 300mln doses annually of various vaccines within the Serum Institute agreement, in light of the African Union initiative, which aims to produce and provide 60% of the needs of the African continent by 2040

Shaimaa Raafat, Daily News Egypt

March 27, 2023

PHOTO

Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar has stressed the importance of expanding “Egyptian-Indian” investments, mainly in the field of manufacturing vaccines and medicines.

This came during his speech in a press conference on Saturday, at the headquarters of the Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines (Vacsera), to launch the first production line of the “Hepatitis B and Pentavalent” vaccines, with a production capacity of 100 million doses annually, in cooperation with the Serum Institute of India.

Abdel Ghaffar pointed out that this stage of the agreement signed between Vacsera and the Serum Institute of India in July 2019, represents an advanced step in the field of manufacturing and transferring vaccine technology, and raising the local production capacity from 60% to 70%, noting that this stage works in parallel with preparing for the start of the third level of the agreement.

The minister affirmed that the strategic partnership between Egypt and India has witnessed a great boom in recent years, referring to the importance of maximising ways to benefit from the vaccine manufacturing file between the two countries, which will bear fruit in improving the Egyptian health system, in line with the state’s Vision 2030.

Abdel Ghaffar confirmed that the two countries possess superior human skills, in addition to strong and well-established foundations and institutions in the field of vaccine production and manufacturing, explaining that in light of the agreement, the technical team of “Vacsera” workers has been trained, through organizing regular missions to India and receiving training in the production control laboratories of the Indian Serm Company.

Abdel Ghaffar announced the future plan of the Ministry of Health and Population, to produce 300 million doses annually of various vaccines within the Serum Institute agreement, in light of the African Union initiative, which aims to produce and provide 60% of the needs of the African continent by 2040.

For his part, Ambassador of India to Egypt Ajit Gupte praised the extension of investment partnerships with the Egyptian state, explaining that Egypt has a strong system, national vision and developed strategy in all investment fields that make it among the first developed countries in the world at all levels, especially the health level.

He pointed out that the Egyptian health system has human cadres and skills of superior quality, noting his country’s capabilities in the vaccine manufacturing file, as his country produces 60% of the actual need for vaccines around the world.