Africa Imports Up to 95% of Medicines, AHF Warns of Threat to Health Sovereignty

Elochukwu Benjamin |IchieTimes 

AWKA: Africa’s heavy dependence on imported medicines has raised concerns over the continent’s capacity to achieve pharmaceutical independence, with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) calling for urgent regulatory reforms to strengthen local drug manufacturing.

The organisation urged African governments to accelerate the ratification of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty and adopt harmonised regulatory standards to ease the movement of locally manufactured medicines across the continent.

The call was made during the inaugural African Medicines Agency Week held in Kigali, Rwanda, from October 25 to 30, 2026.
AHF noted that although Africa’s pharmaceutical market was valued at about 30 billion dollars, between 70 and 95 per cent of medicines consumed on the continent were imported, leaving countries vulnerable to disruptions in global supply chains.

It also cited figures presented at the meeting indicating that Africa recorded a pharmaceutical trade deficit of approximately 12.5 billion dollars in 2020.
The organisation disclosed that only 33 African Union member states had ratified the AMA Treaty as of October 2026, leaving more than 20 countries yet to complete the process.
AHF Executive Vice President, Penninah Iutung, said Africa’s dependence on imported medicines posed a major challenge to the continent’s ambition of achieving health sovereignty.

Iutung called on governments to move beyond commitments and take concrete steps towards establishing a coordinated regulatory system that would strengthen local pharmaceutical industries and improve access to essential medicines.

She said Africa could not achieve health sovereignty while remaining heavily dependent on imported drugs and exposed to disruptions in international supply chains.
The organisation also identified regulatory bottlenecks as major obstacles to pharmaceutical manufacturing and investment across the continent.
Findings presented during the meeting showed that about 80 per cent of participating manufacturers identified unpredictable regulatory approval timelines as a major challenge, while 77 per cent cited differences in regulatory requirements among African countries.

Another 54 per cent reportedly identified duplicated submissions, assessments and inspections as significant barriers to their operations.

AHF said these challenges increase production costs, delay access to medicines and discourage investment in local pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The Executive Director of the AHF Global Public Health Institute, Dr Jorge Saavedra, said the African Medicines Agency presented an important opportunity for the continent to strengthen its collective capacity to protect public health.

Saavedra, however, stressed that regulatory harmonisation must be supported by investments in technology transfer, research and development, as well as African scientific institutions.

He maintained that the continent needed practical mechanisms to strengthen its ability to research, develop and manufacture essential medical products rather than merely discussing health sovereignty.
AHF expressed its readiness to collaborate with African governments, the AMA, research institutions, universities, civil society organisations and pharmaceutical industry stakeholders to build a more resilient and self-reliant health system.

The African Medicines Agency is expected to strengthen coordination among national medicines regulatory authorities, promote common standards and improve access to safe, effective and quality-assured medical products across Africa.