Zambia’s Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and China’s Jijia International Medical Technology Co. Ltd have signed a joint venture agreement to establish a $213 million vaccine manufacturing plant aimed at reducing the country’s dependence on imported medicines.
The agreement will facilitate the establishment of ZAMVAX Limited, with IDC holding a 60 per cent stake and Jijia International Medical Technology owning the remaining 40 per cent. The project is expected to be implemented in phases over the coming years.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Lusaka, IDC Chief Executive Officer, Cornwell Muleya, said the first phase would require an investment of approximately $24.13 million and focus on developing an oral cholera vaccine fill-and-finish facility at the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone.
He disclosed that the facility would have the capacity to produce up to 20 million vaccine doses annually, with 10 million doses allocated to the domestic market and the remaining 10 million earmarked for export, subject to regulatory approvals and market access requirements.
Muleya noted that the initiative was partly motivated by Zambia’s recurring cholera outbreaks and the need to strengthen local capacity to respond effectively to public health emergencies.
According to him, the project would subsequently expand into the production of paediatric and animal vaccines, subject to feasibility studies, financing arrangements and regulatory approvals.
The initiative aligns with Zambia’s Grow Zambia Agenda, which seeks to accelerate industrialisation, promote local value addition, develop technical skills and expand domestic manufacturing capacity.
The agreement comes amid growing efforts across Africa to establish local vaccine production facilities following the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed the continent’s vulnerability to global supply disruptions and export restrictions.
African countries have historically relied heavily on imported vaccines for routine immunisation and disease prevention, prompting renewed calls for pharmaceutical self-sufficiency.
The African Union and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have consequently championed a continental initiative to increase local vaccine production, targeting 60 per cent of Africa’s vaccine requirements to be manufactured domestically by 2040.
Countries including South Africa and Egypt have also advanced vaccine manufacturing initiatives to strengthen health security and develop pharmaceutical industries capable of serving domestic and international markets.
