Africa must reduce dependence on imported medicines and vaccines – President Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has called for an investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing across Africa to reduce the continent’s heavy dependence on imported medicines and vaccines.
He said Africa’s continued reliance on external suppliers exposed its health systems to supply disruptions and limited the continent’s ability to respond effectively to public health emergencies.
President Mahama made the call when he delivered the keynote address at a plenary session on “Investing in Health: Manufacturing and Regional Value Chains” at the maiden Alamein Africa Forum in Alamein, Egypt.
The Forum is being held alongside the Eighth African Union Mid-Year Coordination Summit.
He said Africa currently imports more than 70 per cent of its medicines and about 99 per cent of its vaccines, making the continent highly dependent on pharmaceutical supply chains outside Africa. The figures are also reflected in data from Africa CDC and other international health institutions.
President Mahama said the situation required African governments, businesses, investors and financial institutions to treat health manufacturing as an economic opportunity rather than solely as a social expenditure.
He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed the vulnerability created by dependence on external sources for essential medicines and vaccines, particularly when global demand surged and countries competed for limited supplies.
According to him, Africa must therefore move beyond the traditional approach of importing finished pharmaceutical products and build the capacity to manufacture medicines, vaccines and other health commodities on the continent.
He called for greater mobilisation of African capital into pharmaceutical production, research and development, technology and the infrastructure required to build competitive regional health value chains.
President Mahama said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provided an opportunity to create the market scale needed to make pharmaceutical manufacturing commercially viable, allowing products manufactured in one African country to reach consumers across the continent.
He also called for stronger cooperation among African countries in areas such as regulation, procurement and investment to support local manufacturers and expand access to quality-assured medicines.
The President said developing pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity would have benefits beyond health security, including the creation of industries, skilled jobs and opportunities for young Africans while strengthening the continent’s industrial base.
He urged African financiers and industrialists to recognise pharmaceutical manufacturing as an investment sector capable of supporting economic transformation while addressing some of the continent’s most pressing health needs.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
