By Anan Geolengs
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has called on African governments to accelerate ratification and regulatory harmonisation to expand access to affordable medicines and unlock continent’s pharmaceutical manufacturing potential.
The call comes as more than 20 African Union (AU) member states are yet to ratify African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty.
AHF made the call in a statement on Friday by its Advocacy and Marketing Manager, Steve Aborisade.
The statement came as AMA convenes its inaugural week in Kigali, Rwanda, from Oct. 25 to Oct. 30, against backdrop of continued dependence on imported medicines, fragmented regulatory systems and growing calls for African health sovereignty.
It said Africa’s pharmaceutical market is estimated at 30 billion U.S. dollars, yet 70 to 95 per cent of medicines consumed on continent are imported.
The foundation said presentations during AMA Week also highlighted pharmaceutical trade deficit of approximately 12.5 billion dollars in 2020.
It said while African countries continue to spend billions importing medicines from India and other global suppliers, fragmented regulatory requirements are constraining local manufacturers’ ability to scale production and access regional markets.
It added that as reported during AMA Week, 33 AU member states had ratified AMA Treaty by October 2026.
According to AHF, accelerating ratification is essential to building coordinated continental regulatory system that supports local production while ensuring access to safe, effective and quality-assured medical products.
“Africa cannot achieve health sovereignty while remaining heavily dependent on imported medicines and vulnerable to disruptions in global supply chains.
“We commend AMA for taking this bold step towards more coordinated regulatory environment. We must now translate political commitments into action,” AHF quoted its Executive Vice President, Penninah Iutung, as saying.
It said discussions during AMA Week highlighted practical barriers facing pharmaceutical manufacturers.
“80 per cent of local manufacturers present identified unpredictable regulatory review and approval timelines as major challenge, 77 per cent cited differing regulatory requirements across African countries, and 54 per cent pointed to duplicated submissions, assessments and inspections.
“These barriers increase costs, delay access to medicines and discourage investment in African pharmaceutical production.
“Harmonised requirements, predictable approval timelines, shared assessments and stronger collaboration among national regulatory authorities could help manufacturers serve multiple markets more efficiently,” it said.
It also quoted Executive Director of Global Public Health Institute, Dr Jorge Saavedra, as saying establishment of AMA is important investment in Africa’s collective capacity to protect public health and shape future of global health.
“Regulatory harmonisation must go hand in hand with technology transfer, research and development, and strengthening of African scientific institutions.
“Africa’s health sovereignty must move from aspiration to implementation. A strong African Medicines Agency is important part of that journey,” he said.
AHF said it stands ready to work with African governments, AMA, scientists, universities, civil society and industry to advance resilient, equitable and self-reliant African health ecosystem.
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