Strengthening Pandemic Vaccine Preparedness in Africa

  • current

12

Partner Countries

across sub-Saharan Africa

2

Published Protocols

PLOS ONE

5

Research Objectives

across full project

41%

Variation Explained

regression model R²

About the Project

What is SPAVPA?

Strengthening Pandemic Vaccine Preparedness in Africa (SPAVPA) is a two-year collaborative research initiative running from November 2025 to October 2027, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The project brings together researchers, policymakers, and public health experts across 12 African countries to understand the upstream factors that drove high and low COVID-19 vaccination rates — and to translate those findings into actionable policy for national governments, Africa CDC, and the WHO Regional Office for Africa.

Our work spans a systematic review, regression modelling, mixed-methods country comparisons, capacity building, and a co-designed Knowledge Translation strategy guided by a dedicated Knowledge User Committee of regional experts from WHO, Africa CDC, and Ministries of Health across Africa.

Context

The Problem & Our Solution

The Problem

COVID-19 vaccination rates across Africa ranged from 0.22% to 85.27% — a 385x gap between countries

Limited research on the upstream structural factors driving these country-level disparities

Policymakers lack actionable, Africa-specific evidence to guide future pandemic preparedness

Existing literature focuses on hesitancy — not structural, governance, or supply-side drivers

Our Solution

Holistic, systems-based research placing upstream factors at the centre of analysis

12-country mixed-methods comparisons combining quantitative modelling with qualitative expert insight

Knowledge Translation strategy co-designed with experts from WHO, Africa CDC, and Ministries of Health

Sustainable research capacity built through training partnerships with VACFA and ECAVI

Research Design

Five Integrated Objectives

OBJ 01

Upstream factors & regression modelling across Africa

OBJ 02

Pairwise & three-country mixed-methods comparisons

OBJ 03

Strengths-based framework from in-country success stories

OBJ 04

Mentoring, training & capacity building across African institutions

OBJ 05

Knowledge Translation for African leaders, Africa CDC & WHO

Impact

Anticipated Outputs

Short-Term

Detailed analysis uncovering regional vaccination disparities and identifying successful strategies across sub-Saharan Africa

Evidence-based strengths framework built from in-country success stories

Targeted dissemination to policymakers through established regional and global networks

Long-Term

Strengthened partnerships with national governments, Africa CDC, WHO Regional Office for Africa, and regional vaccine centres

Actionable policy tools including briefs, data visualizations, and implementation reports

Enhanced research capacity through training, mentorship, and annual symposia

Continuous knowledge exchange through regional workshops and iterative feedback mechanisms

Network

Key Partner Countries

Canada Angola Botswana Burundi Cameroon Côte d'Ivoire Malawi Namibia Nigeria Rwanda Sénégal South Africa Uganda

Meet Our Country Partners

Learn about the 12 research institutions and Principal Investigators driving this work across Africa.

View Country Partners →