Africa needs Resilience to Progress Towards Sustainable Local Manufacturing Health Products
Africa has made significant progress in local vaccine and health product manufacturing, securing funding, improving regulations, and mobilizing support to establish local markets. The 2nd Vaccine and Other Health Products Manufacturing Forum, convened by Africa CDC, Gavi, and the Regionalized Vaccine Manufacturing Collaborative, was hosted by Egypt’s Unified Procurement Authority (UPA) from February 4-6, 2025, in Cairo. However, Africa need Africa needs resilience to Progress Towards Sustainable Local Manufacturing Health Products, writes Editor Gentechnews, Tony Nwakaegho.
Africa has made significant progress in local vaccine and health product manufacturing, securing funding, improving regulations, and mobilizing support to establish local markets and convergence of Health Products Manufacturing Forum.
According to the February edition of The Pan-African Manufacturers Association (PAMA) Monthly Bulletin, the forum built on the first Manufacturers’ Marketplace held in Marrakesh, Morocco, in 2023, expanding its mandate beyond vaccines to include medicines and diagnostics.
Africa CDC’s Director General, Dr. Jean Kaseya, highlighted remarkable progress in transforming the local manufacturing landscape, while the 37th AU Assembly upgraded the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) into the Platform for Harmonized African Health Products Manufacturing (PHAHM) to encompass all health products.
It noted that significant financial commitments were made, including the launch of a USD 1.2 billion African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) and Afreximbank USD 2 billion pledge to support health product manufacturing.
Additionally, the AU Assembly established a Pooled Procurement Mechanism (PPM) with Afreximbank and UNECA to enhance affordability, availability, and equitable access to medical supplies.
A major milestone that was achieved according to PAMA’s Bulletin was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) from Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and Rwanda.
It acknowledged that this agreement strengthens regulatory collaboration, ensuring Africa is better equipped for public health emergencies and reducing dependence on international suppliers.
Dr. Mimi Darko, CEO of Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority, emphasized the commitment to a harmonized regulatory landscape to boost local manufacturing and improve medical product access.
The African Manufacturing Landscape survey revealed 574 active manufacturers on the continent, with 25 engaged in vaccine production, as Egypt, a leading medical manufacturer, holds nearly 20% of Africa’s vaccine manufacturing capacity and aims to produce 380 million doses annually by 2030.
Dr. Hisham Stait, Chairman of Egypt’s UPA, reiterated Africa’s commitment to self-sufficiency, emphasizing the AU’s goal of producing 60% of the continent’s vaccines by 2040.
He also highlighted over USD 5.5 billion in pledged investments, reflecting global confidence in Africa’s health manufacturing sector.
The African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM) it stated was launched to enhance market sustainability and demand certainty, enabling manufacturers to scale production.
Dr. Fredrick Kristensen, Managing Director of the Regionalized Vaccine Manufacturing Collaborative, stressed the urgency of equitable access to health products, citing the mpox outbreak as a reminder of global health disparities.
It affirmed that Africa continues to face challenges from outbreaks such as cholera, measles, and Marburg virus, alongside humanitarian crises that threaten public health.
Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of AfCFTA, highlighted the USD 50 billion annual value of Africa’s vaccine and medicine market, calling for a reversal of the continent’s reliance on imports. South Africa’s Minister of Science and Technology.
Dr. Blade Nzimande, emphasized the need for broader infrastructure, technology transfer, and investment in research and development. Meanwhile, accredited training, vocational education, internships, and clinical trial capacity were identified as key prerequisites.
Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, underscored the necessity of a multisectoral approach, with governments creating favorable policies and investing in regulatory capacity, human resources, and raw material security.
Nishtar stressed that Africa must not be at the back of the queue in the next pandemic.
The forum reaffirmed Africa’s commitment to health security, industrial innovation, and self-sufficiency in vaccine and health product manufacturing.
The Pan-African Manufacturers Association (PAMA) commends the Africa’s significant strides made in expanding local vaccine and health product manufacturing across Africa, as highlighted at the 2nd Vaccine and Other Health Products Manufacturing Forum, convened by Africa CDC and hosted by Egypt’s Unified Procurement Authority (UPA) from February 4-6, 2025, in Cairo.
As the foremost advocate for Africa’s manufacturing sector, PAMA said it recognizes that local production of vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics is not just a health necessity but also a strategic industrial and economic opportunity.
Additionally, it stated that the African Union’s goal to locally produce 60% of the continent’s vaccine needs by 2040 aligns with PAMA’s vision of building a competitive, innovative, and sustainable manufacturing ecosystem.
To sustain this momentum, therefore, PAMA calls on African governments, financial institutions, and industry leaders to remain committed to strengthening the health manufacturing sector, stressing that this commitment will be instrumental in driving industrialization, fostering economic growth, and positioning Africa as a global leader in pharmaceutical and health product manufacturing.
