AfCFTA reiterates the need for stronger pharmaceutical manufacturing at Africa Forward Summit

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye

The African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat has reiterated the need to accelerate pharmaceutical manufacturing across Africa as part of efforts to strengthen the continent’s health security and economic resilience.

The discussions took place on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit under the African Initiative for Medical Access and Manufacturing (AIM2030), bringing together leaders from the public and private sectors to advance Africa’s healthcare and pharmaceutical manufacturing agenda.

Participants at the meeting emphasized the urgent need to scale local manufacturing capacity to reduce dependence on imports and support universal health coverage across the continent.

The dialogue focused on three major priorities, including the development of Africa’s medical industries, strengthening healthcare systems resilience and advancing access to healthcare services.

Stakeholders also identified major barriers affecting investment and expansion within the pharmaceutical sector, including demand uncertainty, regulatory risks and rising operational costs linked to energy, financing and taxation.

Speaking during the discussions, the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, Wamkele Mene noted that Africa imported more than USD 20 billion worth of pharmaceutical products in 2019, stressing that the AfCFTA was established to support industrialization, productive capacity and strategic continental priorities.

He stated that AfCFTA instruments such as rules of origin, market integration frameworks and trade-related intellectual property provisions could help support the growth of competitive African pharmaceutical value chains.

According to participants, creating sustainable and predictable demand remains critical to encouraging private sector investment and scaling pharmaceutical production across the continent.

The discussions also highlighted the growing importance of healthcare manufacturing as both a public health priority and a strategic industrial opportunity, with Africa’s population of more than 1.4 billion people presenting significant long-term investment potential in pharmaceutical production and healthcare innovation.