$3 billion is promised by an African fund towards vaccine independence
It comes after the World Trade Organization recently announced a partial waiver on patents for the coronavirus vaccine, allowing some developing nations to manufacture the shots.
Boakyewaa Lawrencia 
According to a guarantee made by the Africa Development Bank (ADB), $3 billion (£2.4 billion) will be committed over the next 10 years to eliminate vaccination dependence throughout the continent.
The plan calls for the establishment of a new pharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing facility in Kigali, the nation's capital.
It has been hailed as essential to reducing Africa's need for foreign aid, as recently shown during the Covid-19 outbreak.
According to the ADB, it will also support governments in navigating the intellectual property rights to global vaccines and medications, as well as aid patent and license medicines created in Africa.
It comes after the World Trade Organization recently announced a partial waiver on patents for the coronavirus vaccine, allowing some developing nations to manufacture the shots.
ADB says Africa currently imports more than 70% of all its medicines, spending about $14bn every year.
