Zambia Signs MoU for Cholera Vaccine Production

Zambia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and JIJIA International Company Limited from China to establish the country’s first cholera vaccine manufacturing plant.

This agreement will make Zambia the first African country to manufacture the cholera vaccine. As a Global Cholera Champion, Zambia co-sponsored the Cholera Prevention and Control Resolution, aiming to eliminate cholera by 2030. 

President Hakainde Hichilema was present at the State House for the signing ceremony. He said, “It is an extremely important day; this afternoon, we are able to put into effect the MoU we have been working on since we took power three years ago.”

The partnership aims to save lives and boost productivity; as President Hichilema explained, “We can produce more goods and services in our country and on our continent”, adding that “slowness and bureaucracy have no place in a project like this because it is life-saving.”

Phase one of the project is set to cost 37 million dollars, and the President indicated his desire to make the project commercially viable, thanking China for its donations. “We are sending a signal that Zambia, Africa, and the globe are able to work together,” he continued.

Cholera poses a significant threat to the Global South, affecting 1.3 billion people globally and causing 2.86 million cases and 95,000 deaths annually.

Zambia is among the high-risk countries, having faced over 20,000 cases and nearly 700 deaths during the 2023-2024 outbreak. This vaccine plant will serve Zambia, the broader region, and Africa.