Africa CDC and Aspen Pharmacare say they are in advanced discussions about a long-term demand-and-supply alignment plan that could reshape how African countries buy vaccines made on the continent. As part of these talks, officials are considering the Africa Vaccine Procurement Framework to support the process. They announced the engagement on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi. Neither party has signed a binding deal.
At the centre of the talks is a multi-year procurement framework. The goal is to give African vaccine manufacturers the market certainty they need to sustain operations and justify major capital investment. Africa consumes more than 1 billion vaccine doses each year, yet still imports most of its supplies. That gap has left local plants exposed to short-term buying cycles and unpredictable tenders.
African Vaccine Procurement Framework Could Create Bankable Demand
The proposed Africa Vaccine Procurement Framework would aim to secure longer-term purchasing commitments from African countries for locally produced vaccines. That forward visibility is often the deciding factor for manufacturers considering scale-up, new production lines, or technology transfers.
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said the discussions aim to translate vaccine manufacturing ambitions into sustainable market realities, emphasising reliable access and supply security through African-led production.
Officials expect the framework to start with priority vaccine antigens, then expand as demand and production mature. Reported supply volumes could scale to hundreds of millions of doses per year, depending on country participation and financing structures. Africa CDC would benchmark pricing against competitive market rates to keep the arrangement workable for both governments and producers.
Africa Vaccine Procurement Framework Puts Procurement Tools In Focus
A key feature under discussion is how to reduce fragmentation across member states. Africa CDC and Aspen said they will explore financing and risk-sharing options, including the use of continental demand aggregation platforms and the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism.
These mechanisms are designed to combine purchasing power across countries. That can strengthen negotiating leverage, reduce price volatility, and give manufacturers a clearer picture of addressable demand. For health ministries under budget pressure, pooled approaches may also support better planning and steadier supply.
Aspen’s Capacity And The Lessons from COVID-19
For Aspen, the talks address a constraint that has already tested its vaccine strategy. The company previously suspended its Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing programme in 2022 after failing to secure enough purchase orders. That experience highlighted the commercial risk of building capacity without a guaranteed offtake.
Aspen has invested billions of rand in sterile manufacturing capacity in Gqeberha and says its distribution footprint, spanning more than 115 countries, positions it to efficiently move vaccines across Africa. Aspen CEO Stephen Saad said the company can help reduce dependence on global imports by supplying vaccines to Africans.
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