Germany supports Africa in setting up its own vaccine production.

Development Minister Gerd Müller (CSU) promised start-up funding of 20 million euros after his visit to the Pasteur Institute in Senegal.

According to the minister, the threat of Covid is growing in Africa.

"The number of new infections is currently increasing by 20 percent per week," said the CSU politician of the FAZ. The delta variant had reached 14 African countries.

But only 35 million people would have received a first vaccination across the continent.

Manfred Schäfers

Business correspondent in Berlin.

  • Follow I follow

    In his opinion, a vaccine offensive in Africa is necessary to vaccinate 30 percent of the people by the end of the year.

    "This requires a tenfold increase in the effort," said Müller.

    "We urgently need vaccine 'made in Africa'." The Pasteur Institute in Senegal presented a convincing concept for setting up its own African vaccine production against Covid-19 under license.

    "The institute has a worldwide reputation and has already produced vaccines against money fever and corona tests," he emphasized.

    In the first phase, the concept provides for the filling of vaccines from April 2022, while a production facility for Covid vaccines is to be built in parallel. "That would be an initial spark in the fight against the pandemic in Africa," said Müller. “We are now talking to various patent holders to support this production. Such a technology push would also help with upcoming virus infections. "