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The First Manufacturers Marketplace for Vaccine Manufacturing African Union Member States was a landmark event held in Marrakech, Morocco, on October 1, 2023. The gathering brought together vaccine manufacturers, policymakers, and stakeholders from across Africa to discuss opportunities for collaboration and partnership in boosting vaccine production on the continent.

Organized by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the marketplace aimed to address the critical need for increased vaccine manufacturing capacity in Africa. Currently, Africa produces less than 1% of the vaccines it consumes, relying heavily on imports that are often costly and unreliable.

This event hosted over 1,000 participants from more than 50 countries, including experts, government officials, researchers, scientists, and geopark representatives. The theme of the conference was “Geoparks, fostering sustainable development and protecting geological heritage.”