Brazil will produce a combined vaccine against measles and rubella exclusively for export to poor countries, mainly in Africa, its health minister says.
Alexandre Padilha said the aim was to produce 30 million doses by 2017 for sale at a price of 54 US cents each. Currently such vaccines are made only in India.
Padilha made the announcement on Monday at an event in Rio where he announced that the government was inking an investment deal with the US Bill & Melinda Gates foundation to develop the vaccine.
He said his ministry would invest $US727 million ($A761.85 million) in construction of a state-of-the pharmaceutical plant at the Bio-Manguinhos Institute, a government institution located in Rio.
"This plant will generate employment, revenue, know-how, research and technological innovation in this country," he added.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"The agreement which we are signing provides more investments and buying guarantees, which makes it possible to export at the lowest cost," he said.
The Gates Foundation is meanwhile allocating $US1.1 million for the project.
Measles was eradicated in Brazil in 2000 and rubella (or German measles) in 2009.
But the diseases remain endemic in some countries.
In 2011, 158,000 people died of measles around the world, most of them in poor countries, according to data from the World Health Organisation.
