Six African countries to get mRNA vaccine technology in WHO project

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The World Health Organisation(WHO) has selected  six African countries  Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia  to receive the technology needed to produce mRNA vaccines against covid-19.

• The technology transfer project was launched by the WHO in Cape Town, South Africa to help low- and middle-income countries manufacture mRNA vaccines at scale and according to international standards.

• This was done by WHO after wealthy countries and companies sold vaccines to countries that could pay the highest price.

• The low and middle income countries were unable to afford the vaccine. 

• The vaccine will be initially  manufactured by the South African vaccine manufacturer Biovac.

World Health Organisation (WHO)

• The World Health Organisation is a specialised agency of the United Nations which was founded on 7 April , 1948.

• Every year 7 April is celebrated as “World Health Day”.

•  It was set up to further international cooperation  for improved public health conditions.   WHO defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of  disease .”

• Headquarters of WHO : Geneva ,Switzerland 

• Director General of WHO :  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus  of Ethiopia .

• He was elected as WHO director General  in 2017 and later re-elected in 2022 for a period of 5 years .

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WHO: World Health Organisation 

mRNA :  messenger ribonucleic acid  (RNA)

World Health Day : 7 April