President John Dramani Mahama has called on African governments, investors, regulators and pharmaceutical companies to take practical steps towards reducing the continent’s dependence on imported medicines and vaccines.
Speaking at the Alamein Africa Forum in Egypt on Saturday, President Mahama argued that healthcare should be viewed not simply as a social responsibility but as a major investment and economic growth opportunity for Africa.
He challenged financial institutions to identify financing and risk-sharing mechanisms that could encourage long-term investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing across the continent.
He also urged regulators to accelerate efforts towards establishing a harmonised drug approval system that would allow medicines approved through the African Medicines Agency to access markets across the African Union’s 54 member states.
For pharmaceutical manufacturers, the president called for stronger partnerships capable of moving Africa beyond basic drug packaging and finishing operations towards the production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients locally.
The call comes as Africa continues to rely heavily on imported healthcare products, with the continent importing more than 70 per cent of its pharmaceuticals and nearly all of its vaccines. This dependence also contributes significantly to foreign exchange losses.
President Mahama further pointed to the expected decline in traditional donor funding for healthcare, citing projections that aid to Africa could fall by between 29 and 46 per cent from 2024 levels.
He said the reduction in external assistance should instead encourage African countries to develop sustainable domestic healthcare industries and attract private investment.
To support this objective, President Mahama announced HINGE, or Health Investment and National Gateway Enabler, a digital platform designed to improve regulatory processes, clinical validation and the commercialisation of health products across African markets.
The initiative has been developed through collaboration involving the African Medicines Agency, Institut Pasteur and AfroChampions.
President Mahama also highlighted Egypt’s efforts to combat Hepatitis C as an example of how local production, technology transfer and domestic pharmaceutical companies can contribute to addressing major health challenges.
He cited Nigeria’s African Medical Centre of Excellence in Abuja as another example of efforts to strengthen specialised healthcare services on the continent and reduce the substantial economic losses associated with medical tourism.
He further disclosed that the Accra Reset Presidential Council, which he chairs, is deploying task forces and a Reform Interlock Observatory to monitor capital flows and address non-tariff barriers affecting regional value chains.
President Mahama urged African leaders and investors to change their approach to healthcare by recognising it as a productive sector capable of generating economic returns while improving health outcomes.
He stressed that Africa must move away from treating healthcare primarily as an expenditure and instead build the industrial and financial systems needed to achieve greater self-reliance.
Edem Akpabey
