非洲“技术中心”旨在填补Covid-19疫苗间隙

[NAIROBI] Africa could start using locally manufacturedCOVID-19vaccines明年世界卫生组织（WHO）宣布了第一个mRNA的计划technology南非转移枢纽。

Messenger RNA or mRNA is an advancedtechnologythat forms the basis of the Pfizer/BioNTech and ModernaCOVID-19vaccines. It works by teaching cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response inside the body.

The WHO says the transfer hubs will allow mRNA technology to be established at industrial scale with training and necessary licenses provided for local manufacturers.

“This pandemic has demonstrated that low-income countries cannot rely on developed countries for their vaccine needs.”

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus，他

第一个技术转移枢纽是由一个由Biovac，Afrigen Biologics和疫苗组成的南非财团领导的networkof universities, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

谁在上周（6月21日）的新闻发布会上说：“该大流行表明低收入国家不能依靠发达国家来满足其疫苗需求。”

他说，今年非洲的COVID-19案件和死亡人数增加了近40％，美洲和亚洲仍然面临着高感染率和死亡率。同时，成功疫苗接种计划的高收入国家的死亡和感染率减少了。

The WHO has been calling for knowledge sharing and waivers on intellectual property to enhance technology transfer for local production, Tedros said. He also urged African countries to build vaccine and medicine production capacity.

南非总统西里尔·拉马福萨（Cyril Ramaphosa）在新闻发布会上说：“这项具有里程碑意义的倡议是国际建设疫苗开发和制造业的重要进步capacitythat will put Africa on a path to self-determination.”

他说，该倡议将有助于减轻19世纪Covid-19的负担，在这个大陆上，不到百分之一的人口已完全接种疫苗，并提供培训机会，从而可以增强区域科学发展。

谁首席科学家Soumya Swaminathan表示，联合国机构及其合作伙伴将指导国家如何制造疫苗，质量控制和必要的许可，以“促进广泛而快速的技术转移到多个接收者”。

Swaminathan said that it would take between nine to 12 months for the hub to start producing vaccines in South Africa and the WHO will review more proposals for technologies that can be transferred to Africa to increase vaccine production.

Ramaphosa added: “We see this as a step in the right direction but we still call for intellectual property waivers. This is the start of progress and a foundation forhealth最安全易受伤害的people.”

Quarraisha Abdool Karim, an associate scientific director for the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, said that to close the gap in access to vaccines and diagnostic kits, Africa should be more proactive in health technology product development.

“For the new generation technologies such as mRNA vaccines, IP [intellectual property] access without this type of tech transfer is meaningless,” Karim toldscidev.net。“这项mRNA技术转移计划对非洲来说确实是个好消息，因为它将开始建立自己的Covid-19-19疫苗以满足其需求的能力。”

Although the hub could take several months to be established, Karim believes it has the potential to close vaccine access gaps in Africa.

She says the challenge lies in achieving a critical mass of laboratory technicians and scientists to implement the technology. “可持续性她补充说，将需要私营伙伴关系，政治领导和承诺。”

This article was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa desk.