Topic: How to gain capacity building for domestic vaccine production.

Literature Review

Through the many different types of viruses we have faced, the Covid-19 is one of the worst
humanity has ever seen. In order to gain immunity against these viruses humans have created
vaccines, which aids us to boost our immune system, prevent serious diseases, and prevent life-
threatening diseases.

Capacity-building is defined as a measurable improvement in an organization's ability to fulfill

its mission through a combination of sound management, strong governance, and a commitment
to measuring and achieving results. Improving management practices is a well-accepted business
tenet. However, in the nonprofit sector, where the emphasis is often on projects rather than
infrastructure, the practice has traditionally received short shrift.

You run the risk of devoting all of your energy and attention to providing services and expanding
projects if you don't invest in capacity-building. This lack of a solid foundation may result in
organizational instability, which may manifest as old and deteriorating equipment, poor
communication between leadership and staff, and "mission drift", a loss of focus on the founding
principles of your nonprofit. Therefore, capacity building is a specific effort to strengthen the
organizational infrastructure, management and governance, and staff capacity. Countries all over
the world have started to gain capacity building for domestic vaccine production.
(Mission Box, 2021)

And so Bangladesh has started to build its own capacity for domestic vaccine production. The
first human vaccine manufacturing company in Bangladesh is Incepta Vaccine Ltd. The vaccine
production unit is located at Zirbo, Saver which is conveniently located at the outskirts of Dhaka
city. The objective of Incepta Vaccine Ltd is to produce modern concepts in manufacturing
vaccines by acquiring advanced knowledge and technique. The prime objective of the company
is to protect the vast inhabitant of Bangladesh as well as the developing world from various
infectious diseases at an affordable cost. Also, the vision is to develop novel vaccines against
diseases of the developing world.

Incepta Vaccine Ltd is a state-of-art facility that fully meets the requirements of the WHO GMP.
The manufacturing facility has the capability to produce 180 million single dose vials and
ampoules per year. The large number of scientists are engaged in different areas of specialties
like research and development, quality control, quality assurance, production and other related
areas.
(Incepta Vaccine Ltd, 2005)
Bangladesh is hopeful of domestic vaccine production with the help of IVI (International
Vaccine Institute). The Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque has praised the
collaborative efforts between Bangladesh and the International Vaccine Institute in improving
disease surveillance in the country. Furthermore, through this amazing collaboration the minister
hoped Bangladesh would be able to control virus-borne communicable disease, and manufacture
vaccine domestically and hopefully supply to the global market

He also emphasized IVI's 20-year collaboration with the Bangladesh government "to advance
and make available safe, effective, and affordable vaccines where they are most needed. He
expressed hope that Bangladesh's membership in the IVI would lead to continued collaborations
in clinical development, epidemiological studies, and technology transfer to advance vaccine
solutions for pressing global public health challenges.

Moreover, due to the collaboration between Bangladesh and IVI, Dr. Thameed Ahmed of icddr
(International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh) highlighted that due to this
collaboration IVI and pharmaceutical industries of Bangladesh are developing different kinds of
vaccines, including the oral cholera vaccine.

And finally, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam offered thanks to the IVI for
supporting and working with the increasing cycle of Bangladesh and for giving help to the
country through vaccine research and development, vaccine technology transfer, research and
capacity-building collaboration.
(Dhaka Tribune, 2021)

The government of Bangladesh has requested AstraZeneca to authorise production of its Covid-
19 vaccine in Bangladesh. A letter was sent to AstraZeneca on 12th of august, asking permission
to produce the vaccine locally and requesting their technology as we have that capacity. The
objective of the government was to either get the seed or vaccine in bulk from AstraZeneca to
manufacture or bottle the low cost and widely used vaccine. Virus seed and host cell banks are
raw materials to be used in manufacturing vaccines.

When Bangladesh was asked whether they had the capability of producing a vaccine, the health
minister responded by saying there are a few pharmaceutical companies capable of it. Some
plants of those companies have already been visited and have found them capable of
manufacturing vaccines. Unlike the BioTech-Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the AstraZeneca
vaccine does not have to be stored at ultra-low temperature. Normal refrigeration temperature of
2 to 8 degrees Celsius can be used to handle and transport the AstraZeneca vaccine.

"Bangladesh has the capacity to produce vaccines from seed. What we need is the transfer of
appropriate technology as most of the vaccines developed against Covid-19 have applied
relatively newer techniques. However, combining the seed with adjuvants, stabilisers and
preservatives to form the final vaccine preparation might not be difficult for our vaccine
manufacturers if they get required technical assistance from the innovator," Md Sayedur
Rahman, chairman of pharmacology department at BSMMU
(Molla, 2021)

Although the local private sector firms have shown interest in either procuring or manufacturing
Covid-19 vaccines, many local official health experts have argued that it is the government's
responsibility to ensure the quality, affordability and accessibility not the private sector. They
also voiced doubts about the capabilities of the three firms that have proposed to manufacture
Russia's Sputnik V vaccine in Bangladesh. There are many questions arising when private sector
firms have shown and requested the government in either procuring or manufacturing Covid-19
vaccines and these questions arise because are the firms capable of vaccine production, building
vaccine production institutions essential and the argument that the government should procure
vaccines.
(DhakaTribune, 2021)

Bibliography

1. DhakaTribune. (2021, May 17). Vaccine production in Bangladesh. Experts against

private sector engagement. Retrieved August 24, 2021, from Experts against private

sector engagement

2. Dhaka Tribune. (2021, July 16). Bangladesh hopeful of domestic vaccine production.

With IVI's help, Bangladesh hopeful of domestic vaccine production UNB. Retrieved

august 23, 2021, from https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2021/07/16/with-ivi-s-

help-bangladesh-hopeful-of-domestic-vaccine-production

3. Incepta Vaccine Ltd. (2005). Incepta Vaccine Ltd. Overview. Retrieved august 23,

2021, from http://inceptavaccine.com/about-us.php

4. Mission Box. (2021, February 5). Capacity Building. Capacity Building: What It Is and

Why It Matters. Retrieved august 23, 2021, from

https://www.missionbox.com/article/51/capacity-building-what-it-is-and-why-it-matters
5. Molla, M. A.-M. (2021, April 3). Astrazeneca Vaccine. Astrazeneca Vaccine:

Bangladesh wants to produce it locally. Retrieved August 24, 2021, from

https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/astrazeneca-vaccine-bangladesh-wants-

produce-it-locally-2071093