In February, the Africa CDC, Gavi, the Regionalized Vaccine Manufacturing Collaborative convened the 2nd Vaccine and Other Health Products Manufacturing Forum in Cairo, hosted by Egypt’s Unified Procurement Authority (UPA).The forum’s mandate was expanded to coordinate local manufacturing of not only vaccines, but other health products, medicines and diagnostics during the 37th Assembly of the African Union in 2024, transforming the African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) into the Platform for Harmonized African Health Products Manufacturing (PHAHM).
At the Forum, National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) from seven African countries-Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and Rwanda-signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen regulatory systems across the continent by fostering collaboration and mutual reliance on regulatory decisions while creating an enabling environment for the local production of medical products. By streamlining approval processes, the MoU will ensure that Africa is better equipped to respond to public health emergencies and reduce dependence on international suppliers.
The African Manufacturing Landscape survey showed that 574 manufacturers were active in Africa, and 25 of them were involved in producing vaccines. According to the World Economic Forum, the African market for vaccines and medicines is valued at over USD 50 billion annually, yet the continent imports most of the healthcare products that it consumes.
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