WHO Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Initiative

WHO Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Initiative

 

Low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) that rely heavily on importation to meet public health needs are at great risk for disparity in timely, equitable access to essential medical products. COVID-19 showed that global supply chains are vulnerable to disruptions and global manufacturing capacity of priority medical products is concentrated in only a few countries/regions, which contributed to the disparity in access experienced by LMICs during the pandemic. 

The pandemic also led to unprecedented effort in vaccine development and production and strongly reminded of the growing opportunity biological products represent in combatting leading causes of death and disability worldwide such as infectious diseases, cancer, and diabetes. Biological products, such as vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and insulin, are manufactured through complex bioproduction processes, requiring specialized expertise and additional measures to consistently produce them with assured quality, safety and efficacy. However, biomanufacturing capacity in LMICs is low, partly due to the lack of appropriately qualified and experienced workforce to ensure the development and production of quality, safe and effective biological products. Existing biomanufacturing training facilities are primarily in high-income countries and operate on a high fee-based system, making continuing trainings not readily accessible to enough trainees from LMICs.

Therefore, there is a need for a concerted effort to provide accessible and systematic training to support LMICs’ biomanufacturing capacities, with a curriculum based on WHO and international norms and standards, adapted to their needs and on the competencies and skills required in the bioproduction sector that is evolving at a rapid pace. To address this need, WHO established the WHO Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Initiative.

The WHO Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Initiative supports countries, particularly LMICs, to develop the workforce with relevant skills for biomanufacturing with a comprehensive range of trainings and training modalities (e.g. virtual, classroom, hands-on training) to suit their identified needs. Coordinated and managed by Dr Jicui Dong, Unit Head of the Local Production and Assistance Unit, on behalf of the Access to Medicines and Health Products Division at WHO with close collaboration from the WHO Academy and WHO Science Division, this initiative will have three pillars: existing capacity building activities within WHO, the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing and regional training centers.

 

WHO capacity building programmes

Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing

Regional training centers

Organized by the Local Production and Assistance Unit, WHO provides innovative, progressively in-depth and needs-based capacity building and technical assistance to manufacturers and Member States to achieve sustainable and quality local production and technology transfer. Different modalities, such as virtual, in-person and hands-on training using real-life scenarios, are used in programmes such as:

  • Annual Virtual cGMP Training Marathons for Vaccine Manufacturing
  • The Week of Quality and other CMC trainings on vaccines and other medical products
  • Regional holistic training workshops on key enablers for sustainable local production

 

The Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing (GTH-B) was established in 2023 under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Republic of Korea and WHO. Located in the Republic of Korea, the GTH-B provides programs to LMICs to build workforce capacity in the development and manufacture of biological products such as vaccines and cancer medicines. Training at the GTH-B includes hands-on training in manufacturing facilities and courses in manufacturing best practices and vaccinology. 

Aligned with the recommendations of the 2nd World Local Production Forum, regional training centers will be part of a network to address geographical diversity and synchronize resources. These centers will provide accessible training with curricula that are suited to the needs of the region, aligned with the GTH-B and existing WHO capacity-building activities and do not compete with each other. A call for expressions of interest is currently published and open for training centers interested in joining the network under the WHO Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Initiative.  

 

 

Call for Applications

5 June 2025
Call for submissions

Call for applications - 2025 Introductory course for Standard Practice organized by the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing  in the Republic of Korea, supported by the World Health Organization
24 April 2025
Call for submissions

Call for applications - 2025 hands-on training for upstream process in cell-based vaccine manufacturing organized by the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing (GTH-B) in the Republic of Korea, supported by the World Health Organization
23 January 2025
Call for submissions

Call for applications closed - 2025 Introductory course for biologics development and manufacturing organised by the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing (GTH-B) in Seoul, Republic of Korea
15 July 2024
Call for submissions

Call for applications closed - 2024 hands-on training for mRNA vaccine manufacturing, organized by GTH-B and supported by WHO
15 July 2024
Call for submissions

Call for applications closed - 2024 hands-on training for upstream process in cell-based vaccine manufacturing, organized by GTH-B and supported by WHO

Call for Expression of Interest

14 February 2025
Call for submissions

Readvertisement - Last Call for Expression of Interest : Regional Biomanufacturing Training Centres for the Americas, Europe, South-East Asia, and Western Pacific regions
12 June 2024
Call for submissions

Call for Expression of Interest - 2024 Introductory Course for Standard Practice (GxP) organized by the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing (GTH-B) in Seoul, Republic of Korea
1 March 2024
Call for submissions

Call for Expression of Interest - Regional Biomanufacturing Training Centres

For more information about the Local Production and Assistance Unit, and other initiatives: 

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