HIBAPRESS-RABAT
On the sidelines of the 1st FAO Global Conference on Animal Health Innovation, Reference Centers and Vaccines from September 23-25, 2024, the “AgResults FMD Vaccine Challenge” project officially announced that the first quadrivalent vaccine against foot and mouth disease, adapted for East Africa, had been recorded in August 2024.
By successfully registering in one of the six target countries (Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Burundi, Tanzania and Kenya) and meeting the project’s target product profile (PPC), BIOPHARMA was qualified as the first “Competitor » of the project. Thus, the “AgResults FMD Vaccine Challenge” project has officially launched its phase of sharing the costs of vaccine distribution.
Launched in February 2020, this project is an eight-year, $17.34 million prize competition, managed by GALVmed, which supports the development and adoption of high-quality quadrivalent FMD vaccines, tailored to the needs of East Africa.
This project takes place in two phases: in the development phase, participating manufacturers work to create a regionally relevant FMD vaccine, meeting certain predefined criteria. It was during this phase that BIOPHARMA followed the necessary processes to develop and register a region-specific quadrivalent vaccine in Rwanda, consistent with the project’s target product profile (TPP). In the next cost-sharing phase of vaccine distribution – which will officially begin on October 1, 2024 – the project uses a cost-sharing mechanism to drive the adoption and distribution of high-quality FMD vaccines. This cost sharing aims to reduce the cost per dose for buyers, enabling public and private sector actors to better fight FMD through access to more effective vaccines.
“We are delighted to recognize the registration of BIOPHARMA’s foot-and-mouth disease vaccine in East Africa,” said Nina Henning, project team leader at GALVmed. “Looking to the future, cost sharing will catalyze the initial distribution of approved vaccines through public and private channels, with the aim of reducing the negative impacts of FMD on farmers’ livelihoods. »
Representatives from the AgResults Donor Steering Committee, AgResults Secretariat and project manager GALVmed reflected on the project’s progress over the past four and a half years and recognized the importance of reaching this milestone.
“We recognize the importance of motivating vaccine manufacturers to support long-term efforts to control FMD in the region,” said Parasto Hamidi, AgResults Secretariat team leader. “It is exciting to see the progress made so far, which indicates that we are getting closer to creating a stable market around FMD control and transforming the lives of smallholder farmers and health of their animals. »
Dr. Anna Rose Ademun, Commissioner of Animal Health and Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) / WHOA Delegate for Uganda and current Chair of the Regional Foot and Mouth Disease Advisory Group (RAG) for Africa East, stressed the importance of this achievement.
“By making these high-quality FMD vaccines available, today marks a significant milestone for the management and control of FMD in East Africa,” said Dr. Ademun. “We commend the AgResults FMD team and donors for this initiative and encourage support to make these vaccines accessible to livestock producers. » GALVmed CEO Carolin Schumacher highlighted the importance of this work and its impact on smallholder farmers and their communities across East Africa.
“Our mission is to improve the availability, accessibility and affordability of quality vaccines for the treatment of animal diseases that significantly impact African communities,” said Dr. Schumacher. “I am delighted that our collaboration has resulted in a major innovation in the form of a new quadrivalent foot-and-mouth disease vaccine for East Africa. This vaccine will play a vital role in controlling this endemic disease and could help reduce poverty in the region. »
Structured as a results-based prize competition, the AgResults FMD Challenge is unique in the way it uses incentives to engage the region’s vaccine manufacturers. These financial incentives will play a key role in encouraging the public and private sectors to control foot and mouth disease in East Africa in the years to come.
“Since 2020, the project has focused on encouraging vaccine development. We are now at a critical juncture where the first region-specific quadrivalent vaccine has been registered in East Africa,” said Christopher Brett, Chair of the AgResults Donor Steering Committee and Senior Agribusiness Specialist. at the World Bank. “With a suitable vaccine, the region has a better chance of controlling the spread of FMD and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and their animals.”
