Oluga calls for predictable markets to unlock investment in Africa vaccine manufacturing

Oluga spoke during a high-level panel at the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026 held at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, bringing together governments, regional institutions, development partners and industry leaders to accelerate Africa’s vaccine manufacturing agenda.

He said there was need to move from political declarations to implementation, calling for predictable markets, pooled procurement and stronger demand to attract investment and sustain production.

The discussions also focused on financing and risk-sharing mechanisms, regulatory alignment to support cross-border access, and the operationalisation of the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism as a “Buy African” instrument.

The dialogue follows the February 2026 Presidential Declaration led by President William Ruto, which organisers said signalled a shift towards time-bound implementation and coordinated action across the continent.

Participants included officials from the Regional Vaccine Manufacturing Collaborative (RVMC), AUDA-NEPAD, Africa CDC, the Africa Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative, the World Bank Group and the Kenya BioVax Institute.