Power Business with Tumisang Ndlovu - Interview with Prof David Walwyn

South Africa’s inability to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines and its delayed procurement process has led to a slow start for the vaccination campaign.  As of 20^th April 2021, only 0.5% of the population have been vaccinated vs. 8% for India, 12% for much of South America, and 40% for the United States of America.  The absence of local manufacture has resulted in the country having to join the queue of a long list of countries in Africa and Asia which are struggling to procure sufficient vaccine doses.

South Africa does have some capacity in vaccine production but its development has been constrained by a policy approach which has favoured international procurement at low cost rather than supporting local industries.  In a recent radio interview, Professor Walwyn discussed how this situation could be changed in order to prevent similar shortages of essential vaccines from occurring in the future.  His input was based on a detailed study undertaken for the Open Society Foundation, which concluded that a mix of supply and demand side industrial policies should be pursued across the continent.  In particular, high level political commitment is essential in building the necessary support.

Local production of essential medicines has been promoted for many years by the World Health Organisation and other multi-lateral organisations as a means to build the resilience and self-sufficiency of public health systems.  The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted an immediate imperative to act on this recommendation.  The discussion with Professor Walwyn outlines how such a programme could be implemented.

Listen to the interview