Biz Health 25 Jan
"South African-American businessman Patrick Soon-Shiong opened a new vaccine plant in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Cyril Ramaphosa and Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong cut a ribbon, while Premier of the Western Cape Alan Winde looks on. Cyril Ramaphosa and Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong cut a ribbon, while Premier of the Western Cape Alan Winde looks on.
He intends to help his local NantSA company make Covid-19 shots in future and address the continent's deadly dearth of manufacturing capacity.
The pandemic has exposed a global lack of access to life-saving vaccines, particularly in Africa, where just about 10% of the population has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 compared to over half the world's population.
"Africa should no longer be last in line to access vaccines against pandemics. Africa should no longer go cap in hand to the Western world, begging and begging for vaccines," said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who attended the opening.
Soon-Shiong, who is also a medical doctor, will transfer technology and materials from his California-based NantWorks to scientists in South Africa, where they will also work on vaccines targeting cancer, TB and HIV.
Scholarship offering
"Greater self-sufficiency is essential," Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for Africa, said in a message of support for the plant, which aims to produce 1 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses a year by 2025.
Soon-Shiong said he would transfer bioreactors stockpiled at his US factories, with first production of vaccines to be seen later this year. To ensure a pipeline of skilled workers, he has pledged R100m ($6.5 million) for scholarships."
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