Gates Foundation funding $40 million effort to help develop mRNA vaccines in Africa in coming years

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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged a substantial $40 million investment to support the development of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines in Africa. This initiative aims to enable several African manufacturers to produce mRNA vaccines locally, addressing the issue of vaccine inequity, particularly in a continent where access to COVID-19 vaccines was delayed.

While it may take up to three years or more for these vaccines to gain approval and become available in the market, the Gates Foundation considers this mRNA investment as a significant step toward improving vaccine distribution in Africa. Bill Gates himself, after visiting one of the facilities involved, the Institut Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal, expressed optimism about the potential of mRNA technology to combat both local diseases like Rift Valley fever and global health threats such as tuberculosis.

This announcement coincides with the launch of the Gates Foundation’s annual Grand Challenges event, which gathers scientists and public health researchers worldwide.

Institut Pasteur, in collaboration with South Africa-based company Biovac, will utilize an mRNA research and manufacturing platform developed by Quantoom Biosciences in Belgium. The Gates Foundation is providing $5 million to each of these African-based vaccine manufacturers, with an additional $10 million allocated for undisclosed companies. The remaining $20 million goes to Quantoom to further enhance the technology and reduce production costs.

mRNA vaccine technology gained prominence with the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna. This approach involves utilizing genetic code to instruct the body to produce specific proteins, effectively turning the body into a vaccine producer. Unlike the accelerated regulatory process for COVID-19 vaccines, the new mRNA vaccines in Africa face a more extended development timeline, ranging from three to seven years.

Dr. Amadou Sall, CEO of Institut Pasteur, emphasized that this initiative will contribute to vaccine self-reliance in Africa, allowing the continent to manufacture vaccines for endemic diseases like Lassa fever, Rift Valley fever, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. The ultimate goal is to ensure that Africa can produce its vaccines in the event of future pandemics, prioritizing equity in vaccine access.

Jose Castillo, CEO of Quantoom Biosciences, highlighted that mRNA technology can empower low- and middle-income countries in terms of research and development. The platform’s efficiency means it requires relatively little space, making it suitable for regional vaccine manufacturing on a large scale.

With a generous budget of $8.3 billion for philanthropic efforts in 2023 and a substantial endowment exceeding $70 billion, the Gates Foundation remains a prominent force in global health initiatives. Over the years, it has invested heavily in initiatives against diseases like polio, malaria, HIV, and has more recently supported the development of vaccines for diseases such as cholera.

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