African Health Experts Commit to Boosting Local Production of Medicines and Vaccines by 2035

At the 74th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa in Congo-Brazzaville, health experts committed to significantly strengthening the local production of medicines, vaccines, and health technologies between 2025 and 2035. This decision comes in response to recent health emergencies like mpox and the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed Africa's dependence on global medical supply chains that often deprioritize the continent.

Among the pressing health issues in Africa is cervical cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths among women. Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO's regional director for Africa, highlighted the lack of access to vaccines and effective screening tools as major gaps in combating this disease. She emphasized the critical need for affordable and accessible human papillomavirus (HPV) tests and vaccines to address cervical cancer and reduce global health inequities.

Currently, Africa imports a staggering 70% to 100% of finished pharmaceutical products, 99% of vaccines, and 90% to 100% of medical devices and active pharmaceutical ingredients. The continent has minimal capacity to produce pharmaceutical-quality excipients, vaccines, medical devices, and other health technologies.

During a special session at the committee gathering, delegates stressed the urgency of operationalizing the Lusaka Agenda, a collective commitment to maximize health impact investments across Africa, which was agreed upon last December. According to a framework document shared at the session, Africa's challenges include inadequate policy coherence, poor regulatory oversight, insufficient research and development investment, and limited access to technology transfer.

By 2035, the goal is to achieve at least 55% of the market share and 50% of vaccine doses produced locally. A WHO survey last July revealed that only 50% or fewer local manufacturers were certified as Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant by their national regulatory authorities, highlighting the need to support local industry compliance with GMP standards. Currently, only South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania have stable, well-functioning, and integrated regulatory systems in Sub-Saharan Africa.