Some countries that receive vaccines through the United Nations sharing scheme, Covax, are running out of enough doses to continue vaccination programs, the World Health Organization has warned.

Covax has delivered 90 million doses to 131 countries. A number that is nowhere near enough to protect those populations, warns Bruce Aylward, WHO advisor. Insufficiencies that are highlighted in Africa, which is witnessing a third wave of infections.

This Monday, the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, called on rich countries to end vaccine hoarding. And he warned that in the whole African continent only 40 million doses have been administered - less than 2% of the population.

Ramaphosa announced that the WHO is setting up a hub in South Africa to give companies in poor and developing countries the knowledge and licenses to produce covid-19 vaccines. He called it a "historic step" in sharing life-saving technology.

The hub could enable African companies to produce vaccines with mRNA technology (used in Pfizer's and Moderna's vaccines) within 9 to 12 months.

The WHO has announced that two companies are already part of the system, and that negotiations are underway for Pfizer and Moderna to join.

"Through the initiative, we will change the narrative," Ramaphosa said at the press conference announcing the program.

WHO has long urged rich countries to share vaccine technology. The move to help African countries produce vaccines is especially urgent at a time when cases and deaths on the continent have increased by almost 40% last week.

"Today I am pleased to announce that WHO is in negotiations with a consortium of companies and institutions to establish a technology transfer center in South Africa," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

In a statement, the WHO described the hub as a training facility, "where technology is deployed on an industrial scale and clinical development is conducted. Interested manufacturers from low- and middle-income countries can receive training and any necessary licenses for the technology."

The two South African companies already participating are Afrigen Biologics and Biovac.

WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said that the WHO is in negotiations with Pfizer and Moderna, which have produced vaccines widely used in rich countries using the new mRNA technology.

"We can expect to see vaccines in 9 to 12 months being produced in Africa, in South Africa," Swaminathan said.