Revital Healthcare (EPZ) Limited, a Kenyan medical supply manufacturer has received nearly $4 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to expand production of auto-disable vaccine syringes.
This funding will enable Revital to increase syringe production volume from approximately 72 million to nearly 265 million annually towards the end of 2022, enough to cover more than half of the routine immunization needs in Africa.
Global demand for auto-disable syringes has surged in 2021 as the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has progressed around the world. Recent estimates project that there will be a significant shortfall in auto-disable syringes in 2022, which would acutely impact both COVID19 vaccination and childhood immunization, including the roll-out of new malaria vaccines, in low- and middle-income countries.
Revital Healthcare is Africa’s only WHO prequalified manufacturer for vaccine syringes
There are far more than 20 auto-disable syringe manufacturers prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO) globally. However, Revital Healthcare (EPZ) Limited is currently the only WHO prequalified manufacturer for vaccine syringes in Africa that is contracted by UNICEF and WHO for syringe supply.
