The call for African countries to build their own capacity for diagnostic, drug and vaccine production is a vital step toward improving healthcare outcomes and fostering self-reliance.[1] It involves addressing longstanding issues, building trust, and implementing sustainable solutions to strengthen healthcare systems across the continent. A continued reliance on other countries for health products is unsustainable and contributes to a lack of trust in African countries, both domestically and internationally.[2] As countries across the globe undertake strategic shifts in their pandemic preparedness, moving from emergency COVID-19 response mode to longer-term control and surveillance strategies, understanding the optimal distribution channels and acceptance of health products is critical.
The Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) is a world-renowned leader in public health, biomedical research and surveillance activities in Senegal, West Africa, and beyond. In partnership with LSE, the funding will explore access to health products (diagnostics and vaccines) in Senegal.
The study has three defined research questions (defined below) to explore issues related to optimal delivery channels for health products. All three are identified as priority topics in the Senegalese pandemic preparedness strategy of both IPD and Ministry of Health and Social Affairs (MOSHA). Beyond the three research questions the ambition of these funds is to (1) establish datasets that can be used in the future to address vaccine and diagnostic distribution challenges, (2) co-produce ideas and applications for follow-on funding to further explore issues around availability of and access to health products, and (3) strengthen economic research capacity at IPD.
[1] The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Time for Africa to future-proof, starting with COVID-19. Lancet Infect Dis. 2022 Feb;22(2):151. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00011-1. Epub 2022 Jan 13. PMID: 35033233; PMCID: PMC8758148.
[2] Saied AA, Metwally AA, Dhawan M, Choudhary OP, Aiash H. Strengthening vaccines and medicines manufacturing capabilities in Africa: challenges and perspectives. EMBO Mol Med. 2022 Aug 8;14(8):e16287. doi: 10.15252/emmm.202216287. Epub 2022 Jun 27. PMID: 35758210; PMCID: PMC9358391.