Michael Gwarisa
African Heads of State and Government have pledged to accelerate local manufacturing of health products as part of a continent wide push to strengthen health security, reduce import dependence, and improve preparedness for future pandemics.
Leaders from all 54 member states of the African Union made the commitment during high level engagements held on the margins of the 39th AU Summit. The declaration builds on previous Assembly decisions aimed at advancing health product manufacturing, pooled procurement, and regulatory harmonisation across Africa.
The leaders recognised local production of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, diagnostics, and medical devices as a strategic pillar for Africa’s health sovereignty. They also acknowledged the role of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in driving harmonised manufacturing platforms and operationalising the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism.
A key concern highlighted was Africa’s continued reliance on imported vaccines and medicines. Countries such as Zimbabwe, even in 2026, do not manufacture vaccines locally and depend heavily on imports and donor goodwill. This dependency exposes nations to significant risks when global pandemics strike, as seen during recent health emergencies when supply chains tightened and vaccine nationalism emerged.
Under the new commitments, leaders aim for Africa to meet at least 60 percent of its health product needs through local manufacturing by 2040. They pledged to mobilise sustainable financing for African manufacturers, invest in skills development and technology transfer, and strengthen regional manufacturing capacity.
The declaration also expressed strong support for an Extraordinary Summit on African Health Products Manufacturing to be held in Nairobi in the second quarter of 2026, to be chaired by Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto.
