Africa’s drive to expand pharmaceutical manufacturing could help close major gaps in access to essential medicines, but experts warn that fragmented markets, unpredictable demand and regulatory barriers continue to threaten the continent’s ability to build a sustainable medicine manufacturing industry.
Speaking to TAARIFA during a Zoom press conference discussing a new report by the Access to Medicine Foundation, Claudia Martínez, Director of Research at the Foundation, said Africa’s pharmaceutical sector is making progress but will require sustained investment, stronger partnerships and greater coordination to keep pace with the continent’s growing healthcare needs.
The report examines how eight multinational and emerging regional generic medicine manufacturers are responding to Africa’s changing healthcare landscape through local manufacturing, supply-chain diversification, portfolio expansion, technology transfer and new partnership models.
“Africa’s healthcare needs are evolving, and manufacturers across the ecosystem will play an important role in determining whether medicine supply evolves alongside them,” Martínez told TAARIFA during the virtual briefing.
“Our research shows encouraging progress – from growing local manufacturing to the emergence of new partnership models – but also highlights that companies cannot succeed in isolation,” she added.
Manufacturing capacity will take time
Martínez told TAARIFA that Africa should expect pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity to develop gradually, with international expertise supporting local workers while domestic skills and technical capabilities are strengthened.
She pointed to technology-transfer arrangements and partnerships with universities as important mechanisms for developing the skilled workforce needed to sustain local production, including specialised areas such as biomedical engineering.
The report identifies technology transfer, regulatory support and localised production as part of a new generation of partnerships designed to build long-term manufacturing capabilities on the continent.
However, it cautions that moving from initial collaboration to manufacturer-led growth will require sustained investment, stronger institutions and continued technical support.
What local manufacturing means for patients
For patients requiring lifelong treatment, including people living with diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, stronger local production could first and foremost improve the reliability of medicine supplies.
The report notes that only one in two people living with type 1 diabetes in Africa has reliable access to insulin, while fragmented procurement systems continue to restrict access to cardiovascular medicines in many countries.
Non-communicable diseases are also expected to become the leading cause of mortality in sub-Saharan Africa within the next five years, increasing pressure on health systems and medicine supply chains.
Speaking to TAARIFA, Martínez said more reliable local production could reduce the risk of stockouts and help patients obtain medicines when they need them.
She also stressed the importance of quality-assured medicines, noting that stronger manufacturing and regulatory capacity could increase confidence in locally produced products.
Lower prices depend on scale
Mariatou Tala Jallow, Director of the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism, told TAARIFA during the same Zoom press conference that local manufacturing could eventually contribute to lower medicine prices, but only if manufacturers have predictable demand and sufficient production volumes.
She argued that governments should invest in African manufacturers rather than focusing exclusively on securing the lowest price in the short term.
«“We need to invest in African manufacturers if we want them to become financially competitive. Give them the volumes they need and not focus on what is the final price in the first instance. It takes time. It’s a journey,” Jallow told TAARIFA.»
The report similarly identifies unpredictable demand and fragmented procurement as major obstacles preventing manufacturers from effectively planning production and investing in new capacity.
Long-term supply agreements and better visibility of demand are among the strategies highlighted as ways of giving manufacturers greater certainty and encouraging investment.
Quality and regulation remain critical
Jallow also raised concerns about the quality of some medicines entering African markets, particularly products sourced from outside the continent.
While a number of manufacturers have obtained WHO prequalification or other international quality certifications, she questioned how effectively African markets can guarantee the quality of all medicines supplied through wholesalers and other distribution channels.
The report highlights differences in regulatory requirements across African markets as one of the structural barriers limiting manufacturers’ ability to expand.
Greater regulatory harmonisation, it argues, could reduce fragmentation and create more predictable conditions for pharmaceutical companies seeking to manufacture and distribute medicines across multiple African markets.
Rwanda and Africa’s wider opportunity
For Rwanda and other African countries, the expansion of pharmaceutical manufacturing could strengthen medicine security while creating opportunities for regional production, technology transfer and skills development.
The report identifies diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and cancer as important therapeutic areas where manufacturers can expand their portfolios, while infectious diseases and maternal health remain significant priorities.
The Foundation analysed the approaches of Aspen Pharmacare, Cipla, Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries, EVA Pharma, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Sothema, Universal Corporation and Viatris, highlighting different strategies for strengthening medicine supply across African markets.
Generic manufacturers already produce approximately 80% of medicines globally by volume, giving them a potentially significant role in expanding access to treatment across Africa.
But the experts stressed that manufacturing alone will not solve the continent’s medicine-access challenges.
The access gap remains
Dr Jay Iyer, Chief Executive Officer of the Access to Medicine Foundation, said the progress documented in the report should not obscure the scale of the remaining challenge.
“The work is not done yet, as the scale of access to medicines in Africa is still far from being realized,” Iyer told TAARIFA during the virtual briefing.
Her assessment underscores the central challenge facing Africa’s pharmaceutical ambitions: expanding production is only meaningful if medicines ultimately reach patients in sufficient quantities, at affordable prices and with reliable quality.
The report therefore calls for coordinated action by manufacturers, governments, regulators, procurement agencies, development-finance institutions and global health organisations.
Its recommendations include improving demand visibility, coordinating procurement, harmonising regulations, reducing regulatory bottlenecks and ensuring investment reaches areas where it is most needed.
For patients, the ultimate test of Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing push will be whether these efforts translate into medicines that are available, affordable and quality-assured when they are needed most.
