By Tajeu Shadrack Nkapapa
Leaders from various African countries convened in Nairobi for the second Global Event on Sustainable Vaccine and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing.
The primary objective of the conference was to address the attainment of UN Sustainable Goal Three, which emphasizes Universal Health Coverage (UHC), by bolstering the capabilities of local pharmaceutical production.
Health Cabinet Secretary, Nakhumicha. S. Wafula, underscored the immense potential of Africa to become a pharmaceutical hub.
She emphasized the importance of boosting investments and aligning regulations to ensure sustainable health supply chains.
Furthermore, she acknowledged that Africa’s pharmaceutical industry, expected to grow double by 2030, offers a significant opportunity for the continent.
The Ministry of Health highlighted in the conference the various obstacles faced, including limited production capabilities and intricate regulatory processes. They emphasized the need for collaborative endeavors across different sectors to enhance local manufacturing efficiency.
“Kenya’s establishment of the Kenya BioVax Institute exemplifies its commitment to becoming a regional biomanufacturing hub, in line with President Dr. William Ruto’s leadership,” Ministry of Health stated on X.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, along with representatives from WHO, pharmaceutical partners, and delegates from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development were present at the event.
The main topics of discussion revolved around enhancing public-private partnerships and advancing biomanufacturing to tackle health inequalities in Africa.