4 October 2024
Drawing from her PhD thesis and a recent presentation at the UACES 2024 conference, Parwani discusses the pressing issue of global vaccine inequity, highlighted by both the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing mpox outbreak. She critiques the over-reliance on foreign vaccine sources and examines the EU’s role in improving vaccine production capacity in Africa through initiatives like the Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies (MAV+) program.
While MAV+ aims to strengthen local production, including BioNTech's BioNTainer facilities in Rwanda, Parwani questions whether such models truly foster local vaccine production capabilities. She advocates for stronger technology transfer and local ownership in these EU-supported projects to create sustainable health systems and reduce dependency on external actors.