What's Happening?
The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated a network of regional training centers for biomanufacturing across all six WHO regions. This initiative aims to strengthen the global workforce needed to produce vaccines, biotherapeutics, and other biological
products. The centers will operate as part of a coordinated global network, delivering context-specific training aligned with regional priorities and regulatory environments. The initiative is part of the WHO Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Initiative, established in 2023, to address critical skills gaps in the biomanufacturing value chain. The centers will partner with academia and industry to expand access to training, strengthen regional expertise, and foster collaboration across countries.
Why It's Important?
Building a skilled biomanufacturing workforce is crucial for advancing equitable access to health products and strengthening global health security. By establishing regional training centers, WHO is investing in people and systems that enable countries to produce quality-assured essential health technologies. This initiative supports the implementation of World Health Assembly resolution WHA74.6, which focuses on strengthening local production of medicines and health technologies. The network reflects a strategic shift towards more resilient, geographically diversified manufacturing capacity, which is essential for pandemic preparedness and health security.
What's Next?
The newly designated centers will complement the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing, established in 2022, by delivering standardized training programs that combine hands-on experience and classroom-based learning. They will work closely with WHO under agreed frameworks to ensure quality, alignment, and accountability. As global health systems transition from crisis response to long-term resilience, the development of a skilled and geographically distributed biomanufacturing workforce will be a cornerstone of pandemic preparedness and health security. The initiative aims to address longstanding inequities in access to health products and ensure that all countries are better equipped to respond to future health emergencies.
