The need for local manufacture of API’s and finished product in Africa
A secure and reliable supply of life-saving medicines is crucial to effectively address regional and global health threats. This need has become even more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has highlighted the disparities in the supply of quality medicines, reagents, equipment, diagnostics and vaccines to Africa.
Historically, most medicines used in Africa today have been manufactured outside of the continent. Access to these innovations has been hampered by regulatory and supply chain bottlenecks, including delays in shipment, port clearance, procurement and delivery. Policies such as import bans of certain medicines have also been a compounding challenge. The continent overall has ~375 pharmaceutical manufacturers, to serve a population of 1.3 billion people. Only 5 manufacturers are quality approved.
As part of the Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing Stakeholder Engagement Meeting, this session will discuss the current scenario using examples to highlight the progress made so far in the African manufacturing agenda while outlining opportunities for regional expansion into regional hubs. It will also address:
- The need for local manufacturing of API’s and finished products in Africa
- Highlight the importance of ensuring quality standards
- Highlight gaps and opportunities in Africa
- Provide examples of how this is currently being achieved
- Provide guidance on potential next steps
This session is not open to the general public, but register to participate in the upcoming 1st International Conference on Public Health in Africa.