A benchmark for action: Tracking progress towards regionalized vaccine production

The global health and geopolitical landscape are shifting rapidly. Power is dispersing, health financing models are evolving, and countries are seeking greater self-reliance in health security.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how regions without manufacturing capacity struggled to access vaccines when they needed them most. Three years on, the journey toward regionalized vaccine manufacturing (RVM) remains in its early stages. Achieving this new model of vaccine supply will require long-term commitment, sustained investment, and coordinated action across governments, industry and global partners.

In connection with the G20 Health Ministers’ Meeting in November 2025, the Regionalized Vaccine Manufacturing Collaborative (RVMC) – founded in 2022 by the World Economic Forum, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and the US National Academies of Medicine – launched its first Status Report and Dashboard: Towards Regionalised Vaccine Manufacturing. This first-of-its-kind assessment provides a baseline across the eight pillars of RVMC’s Framework to track progress toward RVM in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Despite strong political commitment and growing investment, no region has yet put in place all the elements needed to fully establish and sustain RVM, which remains in its formative phase.

The World Health Organization’s recent report Global Market Landscape of Vaccine Manufacturing and Procurement underscores this picture. No country is entirely supplied by regional production, and most manufacturers still rely on traditional platforms, with access to modern and innovative technologies restricted mainly to the US and Europe. Combined with a market geared toward commercially predictable demand rather than emergency needs, and dominated by a small number of large firms, this leaves countries – particularly low-income countries – highly vulnerable when supply tightens.

For RVM to become a reality, political commitments must translate into practical conditions for sustainable manufacturing:

1. Investors need predictable demand

Countries must safeguard their budgets for procuring vaccines from qualified regional producers and work with their neighbours to establish pooled procurement arrangements where appropriate. Clear purchasing commitments, supportive legislation and regional financing mechanisms can anchor demand, reduce risk and attract private capital – allowing companies to plan and scale production with confidence.

2. Policy and regulatory frameworks must enable market access

Few countries currently offer a preference for procuring from regional suppliers, and fragmented regulatory systems force manufacturers to seek approval country by country, which drives up costs and slows the time-to-market. Well-resourced national regulators that meet global standards – and can recognize each other’s approvals – would cut red tape, expand regional market size and speed up access without compromising safety.

3. Regions require broader access to modern platforms and enhanced clinical development capabilities.

Without access to advanced platforms and local clinical trials, regions are unable to pivot quickly during outbreaks or meet routine immunization needs. Regions must jointly prioritize diseases and platforms, and mobilize sustained public and private investment. Expanding local clinical research is essential so that new vaccines can be tested, approved and deployed rapidly in the event of emergencies.

History shows what is possible. Indonesia’s PT Bio Farma and Brazil’s Butantan and Bio-Manguinhos were built through decades of public investment. India’s Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech became global suppliers through catalytic donor support and smart market design.

No ecosystem develops by accident – it requires deliberate planning, long-term commitment and engagement from countries with significant populations, including those not yet manufacturing, to stimulate demand for regional products.

We remain in the early stages of a long but essential journey. The actions taken in the next few years will determine whether regions can fully establish and sustain RVM. The expertise and political will exist. Now is the time to act.