Africa continues to face emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and an increase in non-communicable diseases, with few tools to combat them. The continent accounts for only 3% of global pharmaceutical production, and around 70-80% of medicines in sub-Saharan Africa are imported, providing a crucial opportunity to foster the development and coordination of public-private partnerships and financing systems that bring together governments, global health institutions, and local and global pharmaceutical companies, an advocacy drive still being pursued by the African Union.
In 2020, the World Health Organisation (UN) reported that 25% of the world’s sick people, all diseases combined, are African. With this in mind, African leaders are campaigning for far-reaching reforms to build a health architecture capable of achieving health independence by 2050. It is in this context that the pharmaceutical sector is a major challenge, in that access to affordable, quality medicines, as well as the implementation of appropriate public policies and public-private partnerships, are factors in the development of the sector’s growth potential in Africa.
“ Vaccines in Africa can not be guaranteed by good will alone. As we have seen many examples to convince all of us. Africa needs to expand production capacity and other essential medical products ”
Paul Kagame, President – Rwanda
Les Nations Unies estiment que la pandémie de la Covid-19 a mis en évidence « l’insuffisance des capacités de l’Afrique à fabriquer et à fournir les médicaments essentiels». Bien que l’Afrique abrite 17,2% de la population mondiale, mais seulement 3% de la production pharmaceutique mondiale soit 375 fabricants dans 37 pays africains. Plus de 80% des produits pharmaceutiques et médicaux sont importés sur le continent. D’où l’importance pour les experts de développer des partenariats avec des organisations internationales pour une amélioration de la production locale.
The United Nations believes that the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted « Africa’s inadequate capacity to manufacture and supply essential medicines ». Although Africa is home to 17.2% of the world’s population, it produces only 3% of the world’s pharmaceuticals – 375 manufacturers in 37 African countries. Over 80% of pharmaceutical and medical products are imported into the continent. Hence the importance for experts of developing partnerships with international organisations to improve local production.
“ The Covid vaccine alliance in its December meeting approved an instrument called the AFMA; Africa vaccine manufacturing accelerator which is a very important tool of over 1 billion that will be strengthening the africa vaccine manufacturing. Through that, we are hoping that we can get into a space where Africa can contribute in vaccines manufacturing ”
Thabani Maphosa, Directeur général des programmes nationaux, Alliance Gavi – Zimbabwe
L’explosion démographique africaine et la croissance annoncée pour les vingt prochaines années pourraient être les catalyseurs d’un changement, comme le démontre différents projets de développement dans le secteur de la santé comme Gypto Pharma City nouveau centre régional égyptien pour l’industrie pharmaceutique au Moyen-Orient. Dans l’optique de pourvoir aux besoins d’une population en pleine croissance, le CDC Africa envisage l’ouverture de cinq nouveaux sites de fabrication de vaccins d’ici 2040.
The demographic boom in Africa and the growth forecast for the next twenty years could be the catalysts for change, as demonstrated by various development projects in the health sector such as Gypto Pharma City, Egypt’s new regional centre for the pharmaceutical industry in the Middle East. With a view to meeting the needs of a growing population, CDC Africa plans to open five new vaccine manufacturing sites by 2040.
« In Africa CDC, we’re running a major program called local manufacturing of vaccines, medicines and diagnostic tests. Our ambition is to have at least 60% of all these products manufactured in Africa by 2040”.
Jean Kaseya, Directeur général d’Africa CDC – DR Congo
Insufficient human resource capacity and policy inconsistencies between trade, industry, health and finance departments are also hampering the growth of Africa’s pharmaceutical sector. According to the AfDB, when all African countries ratify the FTAA agreement, it will include a market of 1.3 billion people and potentially 2.2 billion by 2050.