28 Mar 2022

The COVID-19 vaccine to be manufactured in Botswana, Pula Corbevax, would be sub-Saharan Africa’s first, says  NantWorks founder Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong.

 “We are here to announce Africa’s first approved vaccine manufactured in Botswana,” he said at the launch of the vaccine manufacturing plant in Gaborone yesterday. 

   Dr Soon-Shiong said the vaccine had passed laboratory tests for use on all known COVID-19 variants.

He said the plant would not only make Botswana self-sufficient in terms of capacity to produce its own vaccines and drugs but also help Africa as a whole in dealing with health challenges.  

NantWorks’ partnership with Botswana, he said, would extend to capacity building as well as technology and skills transfer. 

It was an opportunity to take technology and science to greater heights, he said. 

Dr Soon-Shiong said through the use of advanced technology, his company would not only focus on vaccine production but would  address cancer-related health issues.

“By working together and sharing our knowledge with Baylor Children’s Clinic, we could arrive at getting a cure for cancer,” he said. 

Even though the world was racing against time producing vaccines to suppress chances of getting COVID-19 and boosting immunity, Dr Soon-Shiong said focus must shift to finding a cure. 

NantBotswana must therefore engage in establishing better technology that would kill the coronavirus to prevent its transmission.

Dr Soon-Shiong said NantBotswana would work with Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BoMRA), to enhance its capacity and credibility. 

Meanwhile, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Edwin Dikoloti has said the launch ‘signifies a new technological breakthrough that will see us, as not just a consumer, but also a manufacturer of vaccines and other medications that will come out of this magnificent project’. 

He noted that Botswana like other low and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa, had suffered lack of equitable access to the life-saving COVID-19 vaccines. 

The situation threatened the survival of most people in the developing world as they had to wait for their developed world counterparts to serve themselves first. 

“The people of Botswana will forever be indebted to you for this life-saving decision. It is a truly big step in helping us address medical supply imbalances already alluded to. This development will indeed help us respond to other public health emergencies that may arise,” said Dr Dikoloti. 

He also expressed appreciation that many Batswana scientists and researchers stood to benefit from the skills brought by NantBotswana. 

“My ministry stands ready to facilitate in any way we may be required to. I, therefore, assure Dr Soon-Shiong of our unlimited support and facilitation,” said Dr Dikoloti.

Tertiary education, research, science and technology minister, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe said the project affirmed joint partnership and participation towards establishing a knowledge-driven economy. 

He concurred with other speakers that the birth of NantBotswana was a major milestone in advancing  Botswana’s technological growth. Ends