Fighting Infectious Diseases on the African Continent

The European Investment Bank and the European Commission were the early supporters of German BioNTech, the company which produced the first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. BioNTech is now using its mRNA technology to develop a vaccine that could potentially eradicate malaria.

The EIB pledges to support them and other innovative companies in the fight against the disease. Working together for healthier lives!

EU financing for COVID-19 vaccine helps German firm close in on a solution with highly effective trial results

COVAX is an initiative backed by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank in partnership with GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, with the aim to provide fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in 92 emerging and developing countries.

At a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Dakar, the President of the Republic of Senegal, His Excellence Macky Sall, European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton and representatives of Germany, France, Belgium, the European Investment Bank and other development finance institutions, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC), confirmed details of Team Europe support to accelerate project preparation, expand manufacturing capacities and undertake technical feasibility work to support vaccine production by the Institut Pasteur in Dakar. These will be crucial to unlock large-scale investment in the new plant. The new plant will be built over the next 18 months and will equip the African continent with a state-of-the-art facility for the production of authorised COVID-19 vaccines.

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The EIB is today, alongside the European Commission, inviting African and European finance partners to join a new platform aimed at scaling up health resilience in Africa. The new Sustainable Healthcare Industry for Resilience in Africa (SHIRA) financing platform will step up the coordination of efforts to foster private sector investments as part of the Team Europe initiative to improve health security and resilience in Africa and boost local manufacturing capacity of vaccines and treatments.

The EU and its bank the EIB, supported the construction, renovation and modernization of 16 hospitals in Morocco, with a loan worth of €70 million and a grant of more than €13 million, providing the Kingdom with state-of-the-art equipment and infrastructure enabling staff to work in better conditions. Hospital of Salé is one of them.

The new hospital improved regional healthcare and health services thanks to its new infrastructure and modern technical equipment. Furthermore, during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, the hospital was chosen as a regional reference center to take care of patients with COVID-19. The successful finalization of this flagship hospital demonstrates Team Europe's concrete impact on people’s lives. Discover more about the hospital of Salé in our video!