WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 – 23 February 2022

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening.

Vaccines are among the most powerful inventions in human history.

Thanks to vaccines, smallpox is no more, polio is on the brink of eradication, and once-feared diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, measles and meningitis can now be easily prevented.

And of course, vaccines have helped to change the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But this scientific triumph has been undermined by vast inequities in access to these life-saving tools.

Much of this inequity has been driven by the fact that globally, vaccine production is concentrated in a few mostly high-income countries.

One of the most obvious lessons of the pandemic, therefore, is the urgent need to increase local production of vaccines, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

That’s why, in June last year, we announced our decision to establish an mRNA Technology Transfer Hub in South Africa, as a partnership between WHO, Afrigen Biologics, the Biologicals and Vaccines Institute of Southern Africa, or Biovac, the South African Medical Research Council, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Medicines Patent Pool – and with strong support from Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Norway, the European Union and the African Union.

The aim of the hub is to provide a facility where manufacturers from low- and middle-income countries can receive training in how to produce certain vaccines, and the licenses to do so.

We believe the mRNA Technology Transfer Hub holds huge promise, not just for increasing access to vaccines against COVID-19, but also for other diseases including malaria, tuberculosis and cancer.

I was honoured to have the opportunity to visit the Hub two weeks ago.

And it’s already producing results, with Afrigen’s announcement that it has produced its own mRNA vaccine candidate.

Producing mRNA vaccines poses some barriers to low- and middle-income countries, including their cost, and the fact that they require a cold chain that is difficult and expensive to implement.

It also requires a skilled and trained workforce.

Currently, biomanufacturing training facilities are located mainly in high-income countries, and operate on a fee-based system, putting them out of reach for many lower-income countries.

That’s why today, WHO, the Republic of Korea, and the WHO Academy are announcing the establishment of a global biomanufacturing training hub that will serve low- and middle-income countries that wish to produce not just vaccines, but other biologics, including insulin and monoclonal antibodies.

The Government of the Republic of Korea has offered a large facility that conducts biomanufacturing training locally, and will expand its operations to accommodate trainees from other countries.

The WHO Academy will support this effort by helping to develop a comprehensive curriculum on biomanufacturing.

The first two countries to join the mRNA Technology Transfer Hub last year were Argentina and Brazil. Companies from both countries are already receiving training.

Last week, we announced the first six African countries that will receive technology to produce their own mRNA vaccines: Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.

Today we’re announcing a further five: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Serbia and Viet Nam.

That brings the total so far to 13, and we’re in discussion with several other countries.

We’re honoured to be joined today by four countries that are now participating in the hub, and will start receiving training from next month.

But first, it’s my honour to welcome His Excellency Dr Kwon Deok-cheol, the Minister of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea.

Minister Kwon, welcome, and thank you so much for your government’s support for this very exciting new initiative. You have the floor.

[MINISTER KWON ADDRESSED THE MEDIA]

Thank you Minister Kwon, and thank you once again for the Republic of Korea’s generosity in supporting this effort.

And now to the four countries that will receive vaccine technology from the South African Hub, and receive training to produce it.

We begin in WHO’s Southeast Asia region, with Indonesia. It’s my great pleasure to welcome Her Excellency Retno Marsudi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia.

Minister Marsudi, thank you for joining us today. Welcome, and you have the floor.

[MINISTER MARSUDI ADDRESSED THE MEDIA]

Terima kasih, Minister Marsudi. We look forward to continuing to support Indonesia on this journey.

I understand you have other commitments, so thank you very much for joining us today.

Shifting now to the Americas, it’s now my honour to welcome Dr Carla Vizzotti, the Minister of Health of Argentina.

Your Excellency, welcome, and you have the floor.

[MINISTER VIZZOTTI ADDRESSED THE MEDIA]

Muchas gracias, Minister Vizzotti.

Now to Europe, and it’s my privilege to welcome Dr Zlatibor Loncar, the Minister of Health of Serbia.

Your Excellency, thank you for joining us today. Welcome, and you have the floor.

[MINISTER LONCAR ADDRESSED THE MEDIA]

Hvala, Minister Loncar. Thank you once again for being with us today.

Finally, to the Western Pacific, where it’s my great pleasure to welcome His Excellency Dr Nguyen Thanh Long, the Minister of Health of Viet Nam.

Your Excellency, thank you for joining us today, and for Viet Nam’s participation in this exciting new initiative. You have the floor.

[MINISTER NGUYEN ADDRESSED THE MEDIA]

Xin c?m on, Minister Nguyen. Thank you once again to you, and to all our guests for joining us today. We look forward to working with all of you in the months and years ahead.

Our vision is that this initiative will pay dividends for many years to come, and help to save many lives, because we believe it’s a strategic solution to the challenges we face.

Margaret, back to you.

Source: World Health Organization