AU-PANVAC: Current progress in independent vaccine quality control in Africa
Creators: name: BODJO, Charles
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024

description: The concept of independent quality control of veterinary vaccines used in Africa started in the early 1980s as a prerequisite for funding the Pan-African Rinderpest Campaign (PARC). The international audit carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1983 on the quality of rinderpest vaccines produced in Africa revealed serious quality deficiencies, with only 20% of the vaccines produced by African laboratories being of good quality. Two regional training and vaccine quality control centers (Debre-Zeit, Ethiopia and Dakar, Senegal) were then set up in 1986 to support the control and eradication of rinderpest. In 1993, the two centers were merged and became the Pan-African Center for Veterinary Vaccines to reflect its pan-African nature. In recognition of the important role played by PANVAC in the eradication of rinderpest in Africa, the 67th Ordinary Session of the OAU Council of Ministers (Addis Ababa, February 23-27, 1998) decided to elevate PANVAC to the rank of OAU Specialized Agency. On March 12, 2004, the Center was officially launched as a Regional Center of the African Union, headquartered in Debre Zeit (Ethiopia) under the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Environmental Sustainability (ARBE), with the mission to “promote the use of good quality vaccines and reagents for the control and eradication of animal diseases in Africa”. 

The main objective of the UA-PANVAC has been to promote quality improvement, achieve uniformly of standards for production and quality control of veterinary vaccines. Whereas only two types of vaccine were tested in the 80s and 90s, UA-PANVAC currently tests over 40 types of vaccine from Africa and overseas. The vaccine quality pass rate has risen considerably, from 20% in the 80s to around 90% today.

The Center has launched the process of harmonizing standards for veterinary vaccine registration and certification of manufacturing facilities. This initiative aims to facilitate mutual acceptance of quality standards in line with the objective of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

AU-PANVAC hold vaccine seed repository for Africa and has established a continental vaccine reserve that aims ensuring emergency preparedness to respond to any outbreak of Rinderpest.

In recognition of UA-PANVAC's achievements in veterinary vaccine certification, the Center has been designated a Collaborating Center of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and a Reference Center for Vaccine Quality Control by the FAO.

AU-PANVAC and the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Biological Threat Reduction Program (DTRA/BTRP) are engaged in the design and construction of a new high-containment laboratory and training facility at PANVAC to consolidate laboratory operations and strengthen the facility's biorisk management.

For its future role, the Center has been mandated to audit and certify vaccine manufacturers and to establish, in collaboration with AU-IBAR, a network of African regulatory authorities. The AU-PANVAC is also considering the possibility of establishing a continental vaccinovigilance platform to monitor vaccine safety and efficacy, potential adverse events and substandard products.