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African governments want more medicines made locally. They also need affordable supplies today. As investment in pharmaceutical factories grows, the decisions about where to buy medicines carry greater consequences for both patients and producers.
Treezer Michelle Atieno - Editor
Subsidised medicine imports help African patients access treatment, but make it harder for local manufacturers to compete against multinational pharma companies in open tenders. A new report from the Access to Medicine Foundation shows how foreign subsidies can leave African production capacity unused, even for essential medicines.
Nigeria’s Emzor produces misoprostol for stomach ulcers but operates below capacity as donor-funded imports meet much of regional demand. International procurement programmes supply the medicine at subsidised prices, making it harder for regional manufacturers to compete.
With over $5.5 billion pledged to African health manufacturing and February’s declaration by African governments targeting 60% local production by 2040, securing orders is critical. Manufacturers need sufficient sales to cover costs and sustain the factories these commitments aim to support.
Our take: Manufacturing finance and medicine purchasing need to support the same objective. Donors and governments can preserve affordable treatment while giving competitive African suppliers a clearer route to large orders…Read more (2 min)
Africa needs to manufacture more of its own medicines, but expanding production alone will not ensure they reach patients. Eric Musyoki, a project director at Rotary Club, argues that investment in factories must be matched by predictable demand, reliable purchasing, strong regulation and regional markets that give manufacturers sufficient demand.
“Factories do not automatically create stronger health systems,” writes Musyoki. “Health sovereignty requires an ecosystem, not only factories.”
He argues that governments must provide stable policies, health systems must purchase strategically and regional institutions must reduce market fragmentation. These conditions would help manufacturers build viable businesses while improving access to medicines.
Full opinion…Read more (2 min)
African medicine manufacturers, distributors and healthcare buyers will meet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 17th to 19th November for the Global Health Supply Chain Summit. Discussions will cover market access and the supply of essential health products, including medicines for infectious diseases and reproductive health.
Our events selection covers 13 conferences and summits across eight African countries between late September and December 2026. They offer opportunities to meet suppliers, investors, regulators and healthcare providers.
Topics include pharmaceutical manufacturing and regulation, digital health, diagnostics, supply chains, climate health and primary care.
Full list…Read more (2 min)
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Ahmed Tawakal, a healthcare management expert, says, “A resilient health system is built on political commitment, adequate health financing, sufficient health workers, reliable supply chains and local production capacity.”