FEATURE
Source: SAnews.gov.za
COVID-19,
cancer vaccines initiative to revolutionise SA’s healthcare P
was born in South Africa but left the country during Apartheid, said the initiative is the realisation of a lifelong ambition. “It has been a dream of mine, since I left the country as a young physician, to bring stateof-the-art, 21st century medical care to South Africa and to enable the country to serve as a scientific hub for the continent. “There is such an unmet need to treat lifethreatening infectious
NantWorks is most time-
diseases such as AIDS,
ly. For our fight against
TB and now COVID-19.
launched by Dr Soon-
COVID-19, for infectious
Of equal concern is the
COVID-19 and cancer vac-
Shiong’s digital health-
disease management,
poor survival rate of
cine initiative launched by
care company Nant-
for cancer research and
patients suffering from
Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong as
Works and is aimed at
treatment, and for future
cancer in South Africa
a game changer for South
building pharmaceutical
pandemic preparedness,”
and elsewhere in Africa.”
Africa's healthcare and the
and vaccine capacity
President Ramaphosa
not only in South Africa
said.
resident Cyril
Ramaphosa has hailed a new
pharmaceutical industry.
The initiative was
but for the entire African
science have enabled
The initiative is a col-
new paradigms of care
laboration between
involving activating the
NantWorks’ African
immune system and
transfer technology used
division NantAfrica, the
changing outcomes for
in the manufacturing of
Council for Scientific
these diseases.
COVID-19 and cancer
and Industrial Research
vaccines and next-
(CSIR) and the South Af-
laboration will give rise
generation cell-based
rican Medical Research
to:
immunotherapies.
Council.
• The implementation
continent. This will kickstart the
“The investment by
14
He said advances in
Dr Soon-Shiong, who
The multi-layered col-
of state-of-the-art
Public Sector Manager • October 2021
