By Stephen Adeleye
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has called on African governments to accelerate ratification and regulatory harmonisation to expand access to affordable medicines and unlock Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing potential.
The call was contained in a statement made available to journalists on Friday in Lokoja by Mr Steve Aborisade, Senior Advocacy and Marketing Manager, AHF Nigeria.
AHF said the call comes as the African Medicines Agency (AMA) convenes its inaugural week in Kigali, Rwanda, from Oct. 25 to Oct. 30, against a backdrop of continued dependence on imported medicines and fragmented regulatory systems.
AHF noted that more than 20 African Union Member States were yet to ratify the AMA Treaty, adding that 33 member states had ratified the treaty by October 2026.
“Accelerating ratification is essential to building a coordinated continental regulatory system that supports local production while ensuring access to safe, effective and quality-assured medical products,” the statement said.
AHF said Africa’s pharmaceutical market was estimated at 30 billion dollars, yet 70 to 95 per cent of medicines consumed on the continent are imported, with a pharmaceutical trade deficit of approximately 12.5 billion dollars in 2020.
According to AHF, fragmented regulatory requirements are constraining local manufacturers’ ability to scale production and access regional markets.
It quoted presentations during AMA Week as showing that 80 per cent of local manufacturers identified unpredictable regulatory review and approval timelines as a major challenge, 77 per cent cited differing regulatory requirements across African countries, and 54 per cent pointed to duplicated submissions, assessments and inspections.
AHF said these barriers increase costs, for, delay access to medicines and discourage investment in African pharmaceutical production.
“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 a more coordinated regulatory environment,” the statement quoted Penninah Iutung, AHF Executive Vice President, as saying.
It also quoted Dr Jorge Saavedra, Executive Director of the Global Public Health Institute, as saying regulatory harmonisation must go hand in hand with technology transfer, research and development, and strengthening of African scientific institutions.
“The establishment of AMA is an important investment in Africa’s collective capacity to protect public health and shape the future of global health. Africa’s health sovereignty must move from aspiration to implementation,” Saavedra said.
AHF said it stands ready to work with African governments, AMA, scientists, universities, civil society and industry to advance a resilient, equitable and self-reliant African health ecosystem.
