Bridging the gap: the Pasteur Network’s approach to equitable vaccine development and manufacturing

The Pasteur Network has published a new perspective paper in BMC Global and Public Health (2026), presenting its vision for a more equitable approach to vaccine development and manufacturing. Drawing on the experience and capabilities of its member institutes, the paper argues that vaccine production embedded within national public health systems and distributed across regions offers a credible and sustainable pathway towards a fairer, more resilient global vaccine ecosystem. The full paper is available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s44263-026-00272-z.

A Manufacturing Model Rooted in Public Health Systems

The paper examines the structural imbalance that characterises today’s global vaccine market and explores how the Pasteur Network’s distributed, public-health-embedded manufacturing model can help address these inequities. It describes the substantial manufacturing capacity already operating across the Network, identifies the financial, regulatory, and coordination barriers that continue to constrain equitable access, and outlines the policy changes needed to unlock the full potential of this approach.

A Structural Imbalance, Not an Accident

The current imbalance is not accidental—it is structural. Manufacturers in high-income countries capture approximately 85% of the global vaccine market’s financial value while supplying only around one-third of global vaccine volume. By contrast, manufacturers in low- and middle-income countries produce more than half of the world’s vaccine doses yet receive only a small share of the market’s value. This disconnect reflects longstanding inequalities in investment, market incentives, and global procurement systems. Addressing it will require not only increased manufacturing capacity but also a more geographically distributed production landscape and collaborative models that enable regions—particularly across the Global South—to develop, manufacture, and supply vaccines for their own populations.

PN-VMI: Where Research, Surveillance, and Production Converge

This structural gap is already being addressed on the ground. Through the Pasteur Network Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative (PN-VMI), member institutes integrate surveillance, research, vaccine development, manufacturing, and public health functions within nationally embedded institutions. This close connection between scientific research, public health priorities, and manufacturing distinguishes the Network from models centred primarily on industrial production or technology transfer. Rather than viewing manufacturing as a stand-alone activity, the PN-VMI demonstrates how vaccine production can be embedded within broader public health systems, allowing local epidemiological priorities to inform research, development, and production decisions.

Capacity Already at Scale

The Network also demonstrates that distributed manufacturing is already feasible at meaningful scale. Today, participating institutes collectively produce more than 525 million doses annually, covering 26 vaccines and serums, with several products meeting WHO prequalification standards. Together, these institutes illustrate how coordinated regional manufacturing can simultaneously strengthen national health systems, improve regional preparedness, and contribute to global vaccine supply.

Beyond Infrastructure: What Remains to Be Built

However, capacity alone is not enough. Sustainable financing, workforce development, resilient supply chains, regulatory harmonisation, and stronger coordination remain essential if regional manufacturing is to fulfil its promise. The paper argues that these challenges require policy responses that move beyond short-term investments in manufacturing facilities towards long-term support for the institutions and partnerships that connect research, public health, and production. Ultimately, the paper argues that equitable vaccine access depends not only on producing more vaccines, but on producing them differently. By embedding manufacturing within national public health systems while fostering collaboration across regions, the Pasteur Network provides a practical example of how a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable vaccine ecosystem can be built. As the world prepares for future pandemics and confronts persistent inequalities in access to life-saving vaccines, this model offers valuable lessons for policymakers, funders, and global health partners alike