How to ensure the pharmaceutical sovereignty of Africa?

The initiative is important for several reasons. First, it will help fill long-standing structural technology gaps in the African pharmaceutical sector. Then, it will facilitate the transfer of technology from developed countries to Africa. In addition, it will help build the capacity of African pharmaceutical companies to produce high quality medicines. It will contribute to reducing the cost of medicines in Africa. It will also help to improve access to affordable medicines for Africans and finally, it will reduce the African balance of payments.

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of global health systems and gaps in the production of essential medicines on the continent. But long before this pandemic, it was already demonstrated that Africa imports more than 70% of the medicines it needs, at an annual cost estimated at 14 billion dollars. From this point of view, changing the situation to enable African countries to develop their production capacities responds to public health, strategic and economic logics.

“Africa must equip itself with a health defense system, based on three main areas: the revival of the African pharmaceutical industry, the strengthening of African vaccine manufacturing capacities and the establishment of health care infrastructure. quality health“, explained the President of the African Development Bank Group, Akinwumi Adesina at the creation of the institution.

On the sidelines of the African Development Bank Group Annual Meetings scheduled for May 22-26, 2023, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the African Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation is organizing a high-level event to discuss its work and its importance as a strategic body within Africa’s emerging institutional architecture for pharmaceutical production and innovation.

Professor Padmashree Gehl Sampath, Senior Advisor to the President of the Bank on Pharmaceuticals and Health, is expected to present the initiative in a session that will bring together both experts and officials from the continent’s health sector, d Egypt and the World.

Among the key questions that may be addressed by the participants are aspects related to the improvement of health infrastructure in Africa, the acquisition of technology, which continues to divide the pharmaceutical sector, regulatory and compliance issues. or access to appropriate and sustainable research and development funding.

Source: African Development Bank Group (AfDB)