This strategic project will enable the Kingdom, by 2030, to acquire the necessary scientific capacity in the field of research and development, which will allow, with the contribution of our universities and institutes, to develop relevant training, and thus lay the foundations of an eco-system of the vaccine industry, said Machour in an interview with MAP.
The establishment of this ecosystem is the ultimate goal to which Morocco aspires in accordance with the enlightened vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, which will allow the achievement of health sovereignty of the Kingdom, said Machour.
Referring to the details of this unit of vaccines manufacture, the international expert said that this project, which includes an industrial part and another related to research and development, is divided into three stages.
The first step aims to provide Morocco with a production capacity in terms of syringing and packaging of vaccines locally, he explained, adding that this stage will be ready by the end of 2022, with the launch of the production of test vials in late July.
Morocco will have, by the end of 2022, a production capacity that will amount to 160 million units, or 600 million doses (with an average of 5 doses / unit), said the expert, adding that this production capacity will cover the needs of the Kingdom in vaccines.
By 2025, this capacity will be increased to 900 million units, or 6 to 9 billion doses, which could cover the world's needs in vaccines, and will position Morocco in the 2nd or 3rd place in the world in this area, added the expert.
Regarding the second stage, Machour explained that it concerns the manufacture of the raw material, namely the vaccine itself, while the third (by 2025) relates to research and development and aims to create vaccines and biotechnology products properly Moroccan.
This project goes far beyond the pandemic related to Covid-19, and aspires to the manufacture of various vaccines, noted the expert, stressing the possibility of manufacturing the majority of vaccines in Morocco after the completion of this project.
By 2023, the Benslimane plant will contribute to the manufacture of 60pc of vaccines used in Africa, which will have a positive impact on the continent, and will ensure its vaccine sovereignty, he said.
In this regard, Machour recalled that 85pc of the continent's population has not yet received doses of the vaccine against Covid, adding that the vaccines used in Africa come from UNICEF and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).
The continent realized, he added, the importance of ensuring its health sovereignty during the outbreak of the pandemic. In this sense, said Machour, the establishment of the project of this unit fits perfectly with the spirit of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is meant to achieve the independence of the continent in terms of vaccines by 2040.
The international expert also considered that this project will strengthen the strategic and economic presence of Morocco in the continent because it will strengthen the Kingdom's trade with sister African countries, and make Morocco the main exporter of vaccines to these countries.
In addition, Machour noted that the pandemic has confirmed the importance of public / private partnership. No single party can meet the health needs of the population, he underlined, adding that the unit of Benslimane is the first successful example of a public / private partnership in the field of vaccine industry.