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President Cyril Ramaphosa will pay a whistle-stop visit to Nelson Mandela Bay on Monday.
He’s scheduled to visit the Aspen Pharmacare facility in Gqeberha which will be manufacturing vaccines under license.
The visit to the Aspen Pharmacare COVID-19 sterile manufacturing facility will focus on progress in vaccine production as part of the partnership between the government and the private sector in the national vaccination programme.
In November 2020 Aspen Pharmacare collaborated with Johnson & Johnson to establish the capacity required for the manufacturing of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at Aspen’s sterile facility in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).
This new sterile manufacturing facility contains high-technology equipment and systems that will be used to manufacture state-of-the-art sterile drugs and vaccines. The facility packages these products into vials, ampoules and pre-filled syringes.
Aspen has invested more than R3 billion in the facility which will further provide lifesaving medicines for the domestic and export markets.
President Ramaphosa and Deputy President Mabuza will tour the internationally accredited facility which has the capacity to produce up to 300 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine per annum.
Following the visit to Aspen Pharmacare, the delegation will pay a brief visit to the Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ). He’ll be accompanied by the Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize and Eastern Cape Premier, Lubabalo Mabuyane, among other dignitaries.
