President John Dramani Mahama has called on African leaders to fast-track African vaccine manufacturing and pharmaceutical production, arguing that the continent can no longer afford to depend heavily on imported medicines during global health emergencies.
Speaking at the African Union Extraordinary Health Summit in Accra, President Mahama said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed Africa's vulnerability when countries struggled to secure vaccines despite having the financial resources to purchase them.
"Africa imports around 70% of its medicines, more than 90% of its medical devices and over 99% of its vaccines. We learnt a bitter lesson," he told fellow Heads of State and Government.
Building Africa's Health Industry
The President said Africa is already making progress in developing its pharmaceutical sector, highlighting vaccine production in Senegal, advances in mRNA technology in South Africa, Rwanda's expanding biotechnology industry and Ghana's plans to establish a domestic vaccine manufacturing industry.
He also announced that the African Medicines Agency is moving from treaty status to becoming a fully operational institution, while work is advancing on a continental strategy for pharmaceutical ingredients and joint procurement to support local manufacturers.
According to President Mahama, strengthening local pharmaceutical production is not only about protecting public health. It also presents an economic opportunity for the continent.
"Health value chains mean factories, laboratories and dignified work for our young people," he said, adding that the initiative aligns with the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by promoting industrialisation and job creation.
Summit Focuses on Health Challenges
The Extraordinary Health Summit is bringing together African leaders to develop strategies for achieving universal health coverage and addressing some of the continent's most pressing health challenges.
Discussions are expected to focus on reducing preventable maternal deaths, combating communicable and non-communicable diseases and strengthening Africa's health systems before the end of the decade.
President Mahama said building a resilient pharmaceutical industry would leave Africa better prepared for future health crises while reducing its dependence on external suppliers and creating sustainable economic opportunities across the continent.
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