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A path toward health equity

Equitable access to vaccines through regionalised manufacturing

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a glaring disparity in global vaccine access. The World Economic Forum (WEF) and Deloitte have been collaborating to tackle this challenge by advocating for regionalised vaccine manufacturing ecosystems. This approach aims to revolutionise vaccine production and distribution, promoting equity and resilience in the face of future health crises.

Based on the WEF/Deloitte report, Regionalised Vaccine Manufacturing Collaborative Framework: A Framework for Enhancing Vaccine Access Through Regionalised Manufacturing Ecosystems, this Deloitte summary report outlines a comprehensive framework to guide regions in establishing sustainable vaccine manufacturing ecosystems. This framework emphasises eight key pillars that work together to create a robust and long-term solution.

The impact and necessity of regional vaccine manufacturing ecosystems
 

The traditional "hub-and-spoke" model relies on a handful of centralised production facilities, primarily located in high-income countries. This model proved to be slow and inflexible during the pandemic, leaving low- and middle-income countries struggling to access life-saving vaccines. Regional manufacturing networks offer a promising alternative. By pooling resources and establishing production centres within a defined region, these networks can ensure a faster response to pandemics, improved vaccine equity for all countries involved and even stimulate regional economic growth through job creation and development in related sectors. 

The report outlines a comprehensive framework, the RVMC Framework, to guide regions in establishing sustainable vaccine manufacturing ecosystems. This framework emphasises eight key pillars that work together to create a robust and long-term solution.

Develop sustainable commercial and public sector business operations for regionally-scaled vaccine manufacturing ecosystems.

Create incentives to direct the flow of capital toward regional manufacturing capacity and achieve an efficient, unified regional market that is scaled, sustainable and transparent during both routine times and pandemics.

De-risk financing and structure an ecosystem that attracts sustained private, donor and public partnership investment throughout the life cycle of the ecosystem.

Manage the portfolio of basic, clinical and applied manufacturing and translational research required to integrate processes, continuously improve yields, assure quality and promote innovation to achieve the regional vaccine platform coverage, scale, compliance and optimisation necessary to be competitive.

Efficiently, effectively and repeatably enable regions to introduce and operate right-sized vaccine manufacturing capacity at scale. To compete, regions will need to have incentive structures in place for retention of a qualified workforce so that vaccine manufacturers can train and deploy the local workforce.

Efficiently operate a resilient, responsive and equitable regionalised, end-to-end vaccine manufacturing and supply chain ecosystem to meet normal and pandemic vaccine demand.

Enable faster access to markets for vaccine manufacturers through mutual recognition and shared submission procedures without compromising quality, safety or efficacy of vaccines.

Lead and implement cross-border mechanisms to address challenges and opportunities through a collaborative regional policy framework.

Equitable access to vaccines would be a significant step toward achieving health equity. Among the many lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, a particularly heartbreaking one was that inequitable access to vaccines—in Africa, some parts of South America and many rural areas worldwide—resulted in countless unnecessary deaths. Needless to say, the world must be prepared next time.

Just as Deloitte assisted in developing this report of the RVMC for the World Economic Forum, we will continue working to realise our vision that true health equity means that no region or country should be without life-saving vaccines. Our hope is that what began as an effort to provide regional self-sufficiency for pandemic response scenarios can evolve to improve health outcomes more generally, accelerate the availability and acceptance of new technology platforms and, ultimately, lay the foundation for sustainable economic development.

Authors

Joe Lewis
Managing Director
Deloitte United States

Zubair Al Azad
Manager
Deloitte United States

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