Building Pharmaceutical Independence

Across Africa, a growing movement seeks to reduce reliance on imported medicines and vaccines. Currently, the continent imports over 70% of its pharmaceuticals and nearly all (99%) of its vaccines, primarily from India and China.

The pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities in this system as export restrictions left many African nations struggling to secure essential supplies. This dependence contributes to higher healthcare costs through shipping fees, tariffs, and currency fluctuations - placing additional strain on already stretched public health budgets.

Current Landscape

While pharmaceutical manufacturing exists across the continent:

• North Africa (particularly Egypt) hosts the largest share with around 270 firms
• Nigeria leads in West Africa
• Kenya dominates East Africa
• South Africa serves as a hub for Central and Southern Africa

Most African manufacturers focus on formulation and packaging rather than producing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), which are primarily imported from Asia.

Future Directions

The continent needs significant investment in:

• Research and development
• Biotechnology infrastructure
• Human capital development

Several initiatives show promise:

• Senegal’s Institut Pasteur produces yellow fever vaccines for regional and global markets
• The Biovac Institute in South Africa partners with Pfizer and Sanofi for vaccine production
• Morocco is emerging as a hub with support from companies like Sanofi
• Rwanda aims to pioneer mRNA vaccine technology with BioNTech’s assistance

The African Union (AU) has prioritized strengthening local pharmaceutical capacity as part of its health agenda.