The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) has announced that Rwanda will be its headquarters in Africa, after reviewing the applications of 5 countries on this continent in February 2024.
IVI has already signed an agreement with the Ministry of Health (MINISANTE), and the University of Rwanda will participate in the operation of this center, which will be established in Rwanda by 2024.
IVI is an organization based in Seoul, South Korea, which is made up of scientists responsible for policy and research on vaccines, developing these vaccines and delivering them to beneficiaries ‘affordably.’
IVI CEO Jerome Kim says, “We are pleased to announce the decision to establish an IVI Africa Regional Office in Rwanda. It will be involved in providing support, management and coordination, as well as working with IVI’s partners in Africa.”
Kim says that they found that Kigali is the right place for the headquarters of IVI, and he trusted the Ministry of Health and the University of Rwanda, as one of those who will play a major role in technical matters.
The Minister of Health, Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, says that accepting the headquarters of IVI in Rwanda has taken us to a higher level in closing the gap of lack of vaccines, and other health needs on this continent.
Dr Nsanzimana said, “Hosting the IVI office in Africa is another basis for the continent’s learning in terms of urgent needs in the health of the people, and we are proud to be the host of this center.”
The Board of Directors of this organization (IVI) met in October last year 2023, it was decided to have its headquarters in Africa after establishing two other offices on the European continent (in Sweden and Austria).
Rwanda is set to become the African headquarters of the Vaccines Agency after hosting a subsidiary of Germany-based BioNTech, which manufactures mRNA vaccines.
BioNTech in Rwanda is under construction, and will start providing vaccines (from Covid-19, Malaria and Tuberculosis) in the next year 2025, which will be sent all over Africa.
