The concept of independent quality control of veterinary vaccines in Africa started in the early 1980s as a prerequisite for funding the Pan-African Rinderpest Campaign (PARC). The international audit carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1983 on the quality of rinderpest vaccines produced in Africa revealed serious quality deficiencies. According to the audit, only 20% of the vaccines produced by African laboratories met acceptable quality standards . To support the PARC, t wo regional training and vaccine quality control centers (Debre-Zeit, Ethiopia and Dakar, Senegal) were then established in 1986 which later were merged and became the Pan-African Center for Veterinary Vaccines. In recognition of the important role played by PANVAC in the eradication of rinderpest in Africa, the 67th Ordinary Session of the OAU Council of Ministers (Addis Ababa, February 23-27, 1998) decided to elevate PANVAC to the rank of OAU Specialized Agency. On March 12, 2004, the Center was officially launched as a Regional Center of the African Union, headquartered in Debre Zeit (Ethiopia) under the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Environmental Sustainability (ARBE), with the mission to “promote the use of good quality vaccines and reagents for the control and eradication of animal diseases in Africa”. The main objective of the AU -PANVAC has been to promote quality improvement, achieve uniformly of standards for production and quality control of veterinary vaccines. Whereas only two types of vaccine were tested in the 80s and 90s, AU -PANVAC currently tests over 50 types of vaccine from Africa and overseas. The vaccine quality has risen considerably, from 20% in the 80s to around 90% today. AU-PANVAC has been designated as a Collaborating Center of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and a Reference Center for Vaccine Quality Control by the FAO. A New Laboratory complex is under construction with the support of the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Biological Threat Reduction Program (DTRA/BTRP).
The Center has launched the process of harmonizing standards for veterinary vaccine registration and to develop a guideline for audit and certification of vaccine manufacturers . It is also working to assure the quality control of aqua tic animal vaccines , and to contribute to the establishment, with WOAH, of a standard to control the safety and efficacy of these vaccines. Fish vaccines can be administered by injection, immersion or orally; and a variety of vaccines are available.