Nairobi, April 18 -- Recently, Africa received disenchanting news about Moderna's decision to halt the well-thought-out plan to have a vaccine manufacturing plant in Kenya. The project was to be one of several efforts to create vaccine production capabilities in Africa.

It was pledged after the Covid-19 pandemic raised concerns about the disquieting trend of Africa's dependence on other continents for the vital vaccine. Even though the decision to halt the project is part of the company's cost-cutting strategy due to the post-pandemic decrease in demand for Africa's Covid-19 vaccines, it underscores the pressing need for African governments to invest in local vaccine manufacturing.

This turn of events, coupled with the fact that GAVI, t...