Africa suffers from structural dependence, importing 95 per cent of its vaccines and 70 per cent of its medicines. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted this vulnerability, making self-sufficiency an absolute priority. The African Union and Africa CDC now aim to produce 60 per cent of vaccines locally by 2040. This project requires a complete overhaul of the healthcare ecosystem, from research right through to distribution. With international aid on the decline, the creation of self-sustaining funding mechanisms is crucial. Alignment with the strictest quality standards is essential to attract investors. United political action will thus transform this health challenge into a driver of sustainable development.
Africa faces a critical structural dependency, importing more than 95% of its vaccines and 70% of its medicines. This vulnerability, painfully exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, has pushed the continent to make health sovereignty an absolute priority. Under the leadership of the African Union and Africa CDC, the goal is now clear: to locally produce 60% of the continent’s vaccine needs by 2040. This transition requires a complete overhaul of the ecosystem, from research to market access. For the continent’s leaders, current efforts, although real, must be scaled up to ensure full and interconnected self-reliance.
“North Africa has strengthened its vaccine production, but this remains insufficient. What Ghana, Rwanda, Egypt or South Africa are doing is not enough. We need to do more. This is the imperative we face. Health sovereignty requires end-to-end production capacity, rather than simply partial solutions. Ultimately, if we start a process without seeing it through to completion, it is the patients who need to be treated who risk dying. It is therefore vital to understand the importance of an integrated end-to-end approach. Likewise, it is crucial to understand what this entails at every stage: from building infrastructure to development, clinical trials and regulation. Covid-19 was a painful wake-up call. It showed us that, when the world is in crisis, Africa cannot simply rely on the goodwill of others.”
Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic – Zambia
Beyond the need for an integrated value chain, economic data confirms the urgency of moving away from international aid and towards supporting a rapidly growing market.
“Africa accounts for 17% of the world’s population and 25% of global vaccine demand. Yet we produce less than 1% of our own supply. The African vaccine market is currently worth $1.3 billion and is expected to reach $4.3 billion by 2030. At the same time, official development assistance for health declined by 4.7% between 2021 and 2025. These realities leave us with only one conclusion: self-financing for health is no longer an option; it has become an absolute necessity.”
Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister of Health – Ghana
To sustain this ambition, the continent is aligning itself with the strictest international standards in order to secure investment and ensure consumer confidence.
“Indeed, everything we manufacture in Africa must not be subject to standards that others would consider inferior. As a nation and as a continent, we are committed to following the strong directives of our leaders. Africa will produce, consume and share with the rest of the world locally manufactured medicines and health products. These will be quality products that will set manufacturing standards, both at continental and international level.”
Macdes Daba, Minister of Health – Ethiopia
According to many experts, Africa’s health emancipation cannot be achieved without unified political will and a rigorous regulatory framework. The shift from an import-dependent healthcare system to a fully integrated local manufacturing industry is the continent’s true lever of resilience in the face of future crises.
