German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has pledged the support of Germany and the European Union (EU) to Africa in combating pandemics and various health crises.
“Illnesses know no borders or continents, and neither should our solidarity,” Baerbock stated as she embarked on her journey to Rwanda in East Africa on Sunday.
Baerbock is scheduled to be present at the inauguration of Africa’s first commercial mRNA COVID-19 vaccine production facility in Rwanda on Monday, as confirmed by her Berlin office.
BioNTech, a pharmaceutical firm based in Mainz, is set to start manufacturing mRNA vaccines in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, from next year.
Baerbock emphasized that creating an equitable international health system is a collective, long-term effort.
“Team Europe is committed to supporting Africa’s journey towards self-sufficient vaccine production, from the initial concept to the final injection,” she stated.
Currently, only 1% of vaccines administered in Africa are produced locally, a figure Baerbock hopes to increase sixtyfold by 2040.
The EU’s Global Gateway initiative, with a funding of €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) by 2027, of which Germany contributes €550 million, aims to facilitate this growth.
The establishment of the mRNA vaccine facility in Rwanda marks a significant achievement and a beacon of hope for millions, according to Baerbock.
The African Union (AU) aims to locally produce 60% of the vaccines used in Africa by 2040. The EU’s Global Gateway strategy, intending to invest up to €300 billion in infrastructure in emerging and developing nations in the coming years, seeks to expand the EU’s global influence.
This initiative is seen as a counterbalance to China’s “New Silk Road” project. Baerbock reflected on the COVID-19 pandemic’s global impact, underscoring the lesson that “No one is safe until everyone is safe.”
