Africa today only produces 1% of the vaccines that are needed on the continent. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown large inequalities in access to quality health services and demonstrated the need for strong health systems and better pandemic preparedness all over the world. Universal health coverage can only be achieved when there is affordable access to safe, effective, and quality medicines and health products.

The Team Europe Initiative Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies (TEI MAV+) aims to facilitate equitable access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential vaccines, medicines and health technologies for all Africans. It is a three-year project that aims at boosting local manufacturing capacities in Africa and strengthening pharmaceutical systems in Africa. The initiative operates at continental and national levels on the supply side, demand and enabling ecosystem. The TEI MAV+ is mainly composed of the European Commission (DG INTPA), European Member States, development agencies and institutions such as the European Medicine Agency, which are engaged in enhancing access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies. It works in close collaboration with the African Union, particularly the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) and the African Medicine Agency (AMA).

The Team Europe Support Structure Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies (TESS MAV+) aims to facilitate access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential vaccines, medicines and health technologies for all, in alignment with SDG 3.8 and in the context of promoting universal health coverage (UHC). The specific objective of the project is to enhance TEI MAV+ coordination, technical expertise, progress monitoring and communication.

The project includes four outputs:
- Operational support to the European Commission to facilitate the overall coordination of Team Europe members and the TEI monitoring, evaluation and communication;
- Technical Support to TEI-MAV+ workstreams;
- Technical Support to the PAVM Secretariat;
- Technical Support to strengthen equitable access to quality health products in Africa.

The project is a consortium of 3 European agencies: Enabel (lead), Expertise France and GIZ gmbh.