보건복지부 영문홈페이지

Korea Offers Training for Vaccine Production Personnel from Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs)

중·저소득 국가 백신 생산인력, 한국에서 본격 양성

 

PRESS RELEASE

Jul 17, 2022

 

‘Introductory Course for Biologics Development and Manufacturing’ for vaccine production personnel from LMICs (117 trainees from 25 countries), as well as 33 domestic trainees, kicked off for its scheduled two-week course from July 18 (Mon.) to July 29 (Fri.) in Korea, the WHO-designated global training hub for biomanufacturing project. The training initiation ceremony was held on July 18 at the Hoam Faculty Hall(Samsung Convention Center) of Seoul National University.

 

 

This training is offered under the leadership of IVI, which is equipped with leading professionals and over 20 years of experience in vaccine technology transfers, research, and training, with a focus on the areas of immunology, immune system dynamics, production technologies, production process development, regulatory science, preclinical and clinical trial(study) design required for the development of vaccines and biomedicine.

 

After a series of discussions with WHO from April, vaccine production personnel and relevant government and public institution staff members of beneficiary countries* of WHO-designated mRNA technology transfer hubs and vaccine production facilities in low- and middle-income countries(LMICs) were selected as trainees. Employees of Korea-based vaccine and medicine manufacturers were also included under the aim of cultivating domestic specialists.

* (150 trainees total) Argentina (5), Bangladesh (4), Botswana (6), Brazil (2), Chile (2), Cameroon (2), Egypt (11), Ethiopia (10), El Salvador (6), Ghana (4), Kenya (3), Korea (33), Malaysia (6), Morocco (2), Nigeria (8), Nepal (1), Panama (5) Rwanda (5), South Africa (3), Senegal (3), Tanzania (5), Thailand (6), Tunisia (6), Uganda (3), Uruguay (1), Vietnam (8), (in alphabetical order)

 

The training seeks to help trainees attain a wide range of knowledge and competence in infectious diseases based on theoretical education across the entire vaccine life cycle, from development to manufacturing, authorization, vaccine-related healthcare environment and policy, patents and intellectual property rights, etc.

As the training includes visits to vaccine and medicine production facilities in Korea and programs for networking with domestic companies, it is also expected to lay the foundation for their global promotional activities, talent attraction, and overseas expansion.

 

Once the course is completed, the trainees will be prepared to serve on the frontiers of vaccine production in their respective countries. The staff members of government agencies and public institutions are expected to play an instrumental role in the healthcare environment of their respective countries by laying the foundation for vaccine and medicine production, improving relevant research and education, and promoting vaccination.

 

 

 

 

After WHO designated Korea the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing on February 23, 2022, in recognition of the nation’s advanced vaccine and medicine production capacity and training infrastructure, the Korean government and WHO have joined forces in multiple areas to deliver leadership results.

 

In order to establish the operating system of the training hub, MOHW and WHO met through two Operating Committee meetings and frequent working-level meetings to work out the details.

 

In June, WHO’s five staff members in charge of the training hub for Biomanufacturing visited Korea to tour around related facilities and confirmed that the nation is fully prepared to provide quality training. They gave high evaluations on Korea’s ability to realize the training within six months after hub designation.

 

MOHW plans to faithfully operate the training hub and relevant training in close cooperation with WHO to contribute to resolving vaccine inequality.

 

This year marks the initial year of the training, and basic theoretical training on vaccine production (July’s first session) and GxP training (Quality assurance/ October’s second session, ‘Introductory Course for Standard Practice’) will be conducted in July and October, respectively, to help the program firmly take root.

 

From 2023 onwards, on-site sessions at domestic vaccine and medicine production and training facilities will be expanded along with theoretical sessions.

 

In addition, the Global Bio Campus, equipped with state-of-the-art biotechnology and digital technology and a world-class faculty, will be constructed by 2026 to offer theoretical and practical training, as well as technology transfers, in a comprehensive manner.

 

 

 

 

 

This training course is significant in that it is a Korea-led full-scale attempt to foster vaccine and biomedicine production personnel under the aim of resolving vaccine inequality for LMICs.

 

Large-scale surges in infection numbers related to the pandemic are anticipated due to the continued increase in transnational movement unless measures are taken to narrow the vaccine distribution and vaccination gaps between advanced countries and LMICs.

 

To this end, it is essential to reinforce the vaccine production capacity of LMICs. Korea will remain at the forefront of cultivating the workforces required by vaccine and biomedicine production facilities around the world through quality training programs as the personnel cultivation hub.

 

 

The training initiation ceremony was held on July 18 (Mon.) at the Hoam Faculty House (Samsung Convention Center) of Seoul National University.

 

WHO has focused on establishing mRNA technology transfer hub and Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing to enhance the vaccine accessibility of LMICs. In a greeting message, Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the hub’s role is to “support LMICs to produce vaccines and other biologics,” and “WHO has established the first global training hub for biomanufacturing in the Republic of Korea.” regarding the nation’s superior biomanufacturing infrastructures and resources. And, Director General Ghebreyesus emphasized WHO will continue to cooperate with public and private organizations around the world, including Korea, to successfully foster vaccine production personnel, which “requires long-term collaboration between the public and private sectors.”

 

MOHW Deputy Minister LEE Kangho, Deputy Minister of the Global Vaccine Hub Office emphasized in his on-site congratulatory speech, “This training is all the more significant as it is the first global training conducted under the leadership of Korea after being designated by WHO as the only global training hub for biomanufacturing workforce. Korea is taking the lead in resolving vaccine inequality affecting LMICs by fostering vaccine and biomedicine production workforces that have proven their growing importance in the wake of COVID-19.”

 

IVI Director General Jerome Kim said in his welcoming speech, “IVI is the world’s only international organization committed to the mission of developing and distributing vaccines for developing countries. We expect that this training will help secure the workforces necessary to achieve our ultimate goal of global vaccine production.”

 

//For Inquiries contact Media Relations, Ministry of Health and Welfare

044-202-2047 or fairytale@korea.kr

 

http://www.mohw.go.kr/react/al/sal0301vw.jsp?PAR_MENU_ID=04&MENU_ID=0403&page=1&CONT_SEQ=372205