From the newsletter
At least $86 million has been committed to four new health projects across Africa in the first quarter of 2026. The largest share of funding, supporting two projects worth over $52 million, is directed towards workforce skills development, including community health systems and biomedical engineering capacity.
This is the biggest funding for workforce skills development in the past year according to our projects tracker. The African Development Bank Group is investing $34 million in Rwanda while the Africa Frontline First initiative is deploying $19 million across multiple countries.
The remaining funds support two other projects in local pharma manufacturing and emergency preparedness. Our tracker focuses on infectious disease control, vaccines and pharma manufacturing.
More details
The Africa Frontline First initiative is funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Comic Relief UK, the Gates Foundation, Johnson & Johnson Foundation and the Skoll Foundation. It is deploying $19 million across multiple African countries to strengthen community health systems. Implemented with national ministries of health, the programme focuses on training, supervision, supplies and regular remuneration for community health workers.
The African Development Bank Group is investing $33.64 million in Rwanda for Phase II of the Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Engineering and e-Health Project, implemented with the Government of Rwanda and the University of Rwanda. The programme targets healthcare skills development and biomedical innovation. Its components include the training of 470 students, faculty development, curriculum reform and expansion of collaborative research.
Running from 2026 to 2030, the project will also establish a Biomedical Innovation Park, upgrade laboratories and teaching facilities and strengthen regional knowledge-sharing and entrepreneurship programmes. The investment is designed to build domestic technical capacity and improve healthcare access and quality, while positioning Rwanda as a regional hub for health innovation and training.
China is investing $24 million through Jiangsu Aishelun Medical Technology Group to establish a medical devices and health technology manufacturing plant in Morocco, located in Mohammed VI Tangier Tech City. The project aims to reduce dependence on pharmaceutical imports. The investment forms part of broader industrial expansion efforts in the health sector, although a project timeline has not been disclosed.
The African Development Bank Group, through the African Development Fund, has approved a $9.57 million regional grant for Southern Africa to strengthen health resilience and emergency preparedness across SADC countries. The programme will renovate and equip diagnostic and environmental monitoring laboratories, support the training of health and nutrition personnel and establish cross-border laboratory networks to improve surveillance and response capacity.
Our take
Despite $86 million committed, local pharma manufacturing still lags, receiving a small share of funds.
Africa remains dependent on imports for essential drugs and devices. There is a need for strategic investment in domestic production to safeguard against global supply shocks.