Gqeberha, South Africa – Aspen, a global multinational specialty pharmaceutical company, earlier today welcomed Kenyan President, His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta, to its world class flagship manufacturing site in Gqeberha.
President Kenyatta’s visit to Aspen forms part of a broader collaboration and deepening of ties between South Africa and Kenya to lessen Africa’s dependence on pharmaceutical importers and to strengthen the continent’s capacity to address its own public health needs.
During his visit President Kenyatta witnessed Aspen’s technical capacity to manufacture and distribute human vaccines for a global market in accordance with international standards and discussed areas of possible cooperation between Aspen and Kenya.
Stephen Saad, Aspen Group Chief Executive said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated dependence on non-African suppliers to meet African healthcare needs. Aspen is providing a local solution to this need and is committed to working together with Kenyan authorities and their counterparts in strengthening pharmaceutical and health security on the continent. The answer to equitable access to vaccines and other critical lifesaving medicines is to capacitate Africa to serve its own people. Aspen has been able to assist in achieving this goal through the manufacturing capabilities that exist at our sterile manufacturing facility in Gqeberha. It is, for the sake of health security and sustainability, critical that African countries collaborate locally and with the international community to ensure security of demand, underwritten through long-term committed offtakes, and the facilitation of technology licenses and transfers.”
Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Uhuru Kenyatta met in Pretoria on 23 November 2021 at which time they discussed the latest developments around the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the important matter of vaccine manufacturing and distribution. They reaffirmed their call for the fair and equitable distribution of vaccines.