President William Ruto has called for urgent investment in Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, saying the continent must reduce its dependence on imported medicines and build stronger local health systems.
Speaking on Monday during the high-level AIM2030 breakfast meeting held alongside the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Ruto said Africa cannot continue relying heavily on foreign supply chains for vaccines, medicines and other critical medical products.
The President noted that despite carrying nearly a quarter of the world’s disease burden, Africa still produces less than six per cent of its medical supplies.
According to Ruto, the situation has continued to expose African countries to shortages and disruptions, especially during global health emergencies such as pandemics.
“Africa can no longer rely heavily on external supply chains for medicines, vaccines and critical health products,” he said.
According to Ruto, Africa needed to pay attention to establishing sustainable production facilities for health products that would not only be useful in tackling future pandemics but would also be an engine for job creation and economic growth.
In his view, increased production of locally-manufactured health products could contribute to the industrialization process while at the same time ensuring that affordable health services were provided.
In addition, Ruto reiterated his call for rapid implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) which, in his opinion, would lead to greater availability of markets for locally-made medicines.
On top of that, he emphasized the need to fully operationalize the African Medicines Agency (AMA) which was critical for harmonizing regulatory practices within the continent and making cross-border operations more convenient.
Coordination of investments among governments, development partners, and the private sector was highlighted as being important in assisting Africa to increase its production and improve its health supply chains.
The President re-stated his country’s aspirations of making Kenya into a health innovation and pharmaceutical manufacturing center through continued investment, policy changes, and infrastructural growth.
The Head of State called upon African leaders and partners to go past mere commitments and actually fund projects that will change the face of health care across Africa.
Under the AIM2030 program, President Ruto indicated that Africa has started making deliberate efforts towards creating a health care system that has been developed, manufactured, and sustained by Africans.
