The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has been appointed as one of four Regional Capability and Capacity Network (RCCN) Secretariats by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The announcement was made at the 2nd Vaccine and other Health Products Manufacturing Forum, which took place from 4 – 7 February 2025 in Cairo, Egypt.

These RCCNs will focus on biomanufacturing workforce training and development, which includes various programmes, ranging from hands-on training, scholarships, vocational training, internships, fellowships and funding for training infrastructure. The initiative aims to cultivate a new generation of skilled professionals equipped to make an impact.

Dr Santosh Ramchuran, Project Lead for the Southern African RCCN says, “At the CSIR, we are delighted to lead the Southern African RCCN in collaboration with our partners such as Afrigen, Biovac, UVU Bio, South African Medical Research Council and higher education institutions.”

“Engagements are currently underway to include other southern African countries that share our vision of developing skills and expertise in biomanufacturing,” Ramchuran explains.

The Southern Africa RCCN will play a crucial role in developing skills across Africa, alongside  three other designated centres. In North Africa, these include the Institut Pasteur du Maroc in Morocco and the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement. In East Africa, Rwanda’s Africa Biomanufacturing Institute will lead efforts, while and West Africa will be represented by the Institut Pasteur de Dakar in Senegal.

“It is truly an honour to be selected as an RCCN Secretariat.  We would like to express our gratitude to Dr Glaudina Loots from the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation for her guidance and support during our application process,” adds Dr Ramchuran.

The next steps include the official signing of a memorandum of understanding with Africa CDC and RCCNs, followed by the implementation of key training programmes, aligned with Africa’s strategy to strengthen vaccine manufacturing. The goal is to manufacture over 60% of the total vaccine doses required in Africa by 2040.