WHO Launches Global Biomanufacturing Training Network to Boost Vaccine Production

The initiative marks a shift in global health strategy: moving beyond infrastructure and technology transfer to focus on the human capital and systems required to sustain and scale local production capacity.

In a landmark move to strengthen global health security and address critical workforce shortages, the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated a network of regional training centres for biomanufacturing across all six WHO regions—a strategic step aimed at building the skilled workforce needed to produce vaccines, biotherapeutics, and other essential biological products worldwide.

The initiative marks a shift in global health strategy: moving beyond infrastructure and technology transfer to focus on the human capital and systems required to sustain and scale local production capacity.

Closing the Skills Gap in a Rapidly Expanding Sector

As countries invest heavily in expanding pharmaceutical manufacturing—particularly in the wake of COVID-19—WHO has identified a major bottleneck: a shortage of skilled professionals across the biomanufacturing value chain.

The newly designated centres form part of the WHO Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Initiative, launched in 2023 to address these gaps and enable countries to convert technological progress into sustainable, local production capabilities.

"Building a skilled biomanufacturing workforce is fundamental to advancing equitable access to health products and strengthening global health security," said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Systems, Access and Data.

"This network reflects a strategic shift towards more resilient, geographically diversified manufacturing capacity, grounded in science and collaboration."

A Globally Coordinated, Regionally Tailored Network

The selected institutions will operate as part of a coordinated global network, delivering hands-on, context-specific training aligned with local regulatory frameworks, languages, and industry needs.

The centres include:

• Africa: Institut Pasteur de Dakar (Senegal); Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (South Africa)

• Americas: Oswaldo Cruz Foundation – Fiocruz (Brazil)

• South-East Asia: Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (India)

• Europe: National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (Ireland)

• Eastern Mediterranean: Egyptian Drug Authority – Center for Continuing Professional Development (Egypt)

• Western Pacific: Peking University (China)

By partnering with academia, industry, and national governments, these hubs will:

• Expand access to specialized training in vaccine and biologics production

• Build regional expertise and technical capacity

• Foster cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange

• Strengthen regulatory and quality assurance capabilities

Complementing a Global Training Backbone

The regional centres will work closely with the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing (GTH-B) in the Republic of Korea, established in 2022. The hub provides standardized training programmes combining classroom instruction with hands-on experience and supports the network through train-the-trainer initiatives.

Together, this dual structure—global coordination with regional delivery—aims to ensure consistency in quality while allowing flexibility to address local needs.

A Strategic Response to Global Health Inequities

The initiative is closely tied to broader efforts to reduce disparities in access to vaccines and essential medicines—inequities that were starkly exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many low- and middle-income countries still lack the capacity to produce their own vaccines or biologics, leaving them dependent on global supply chains that can become strained during crises.

By building local expertise, WHO aims to:

• Enable regional production of essential health technologies

• Reduce dependence on external suppliers

• Improve response times during health emergencies

• Strengthen long-term health system resilience

Supporting Global Policy Commitments

The programme directly supports the implementation of World Health Assembly Resolution WHA74.6, which calls for strengthening local production of medicines and health technologies.

Experts say workforce development is a critical but often overlooked component of this agenda.

From Crisis Response to Long-Term Resilience

As global health systems transition from emergency response to long-term preparedness, the ability to rapidly scale production of vaccines and therapeutics has become a central pillar of pandemic readiness.

The WHO's new training network is expected to play a key role in ensuring that investments in manufacturing infrastructure are matched by skilled personnel capable of operating, maintaining, and innovating within these systems.

Looking Ahead

With demand for vaccines and advanced biologics expected to grow—driven by emerging diseases, ageing populations, and technological advances—the need for a globally distributed, highly skilled workforce is more urgent than ever.

By anchoring training capacity across regions, WHO is laying the groundwork for a more equitable, self-reliant, and resilient global health ecosystem.

As countries build their manufacturing capabilities, the success of this initiative will likely determine how effectively the world can respond to the next pandemic—and whether access to lifesaving health technologies becomes more evenly shared.