Egypt's Ministry of Health and Population is advancing efforts to localise vaccine production with a major upgrade of the Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines (VACSERA) facilities. The move is part of a strategy to increase manufacturing capacity, enhance human resources, and strengthen supply security through partnerships with leading global vaccine producers. According to the health ministry statement, the 'VACSERA Building 60' plant has been modernised in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) standards. The facility, which specialises in filling lyophilised and liquid vaccines, now has an annual production capacity of 100 million doses across 710 square metres. Another facility, Building 1, dedicated to life-saving antisera for snake, scorpion, and viper bites, has also been upgraded and is capable of producing 3 million doses per year over 2,435 square metres. 'Building 2', which manufactures insulin and rabies vaccines, has been brought up to current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, with a capacity of 3 million doses annually on a 1,090-square-metre area. A new cooling complex with 96 refrigerated rooms, covering 1,000 square metres and accommodating up to 60 million doses, has also been established to ensure safe storage under continuous electronic temperature monitoring. According to VACSERA, construction is underway for a veterinary vaccine factory in the VACSERA industrial complex in 6th of October City. Built in partnership with India's Fabtech, the facility will have an annual capacity of 400 million doses. The company chairman added that eight new quality control labs are being set up, alongside a central cold chain logistics complex spanning 3,180 square metres. The complex, funded by China's SINOVAC and executed by CSCEC, will offer storage for 150 million doses and is intended to support Egypt's goal of transforming VACSERA into a regional hub for vaccine exports to Africa. He also revealed that VACSERA is in discussions with several companies holding WHO-prequalified products to finalise technology transfer deals. These efforts are aligned with the African Union (AU) initiative to locally produce 60 per cent of the continent's human vaccine needs by 2040. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
