In the early months of the COVID-19, Africa found itself at the back of the global vaccine queue. While wealthier nations secured doses far beyond their immediate needs, many African countries waited, and waited.
This was not a failure of science, but of structure. Africa imports about 90% of its medicines and 99% of its vaccines. In times of global stability, this dependency is manageable. In moments of crisis, however, it becomes a liability as supply chains tighten, export restrictions rise, and access is determined less by need and more by negotiating power. Health in such a system ceases to be a public good. It becomes hostage to geography and geopolitics.
This is why the question of local pharmaceutical production is no longer industrial policy. It is strategic policy and about sovereignty. The continent’s ambition is clear. The African Union has set a target to manufacture at least 60 percent of Africa’s vaccines locally by 2040. This is not an abstract aspiration.
It is a recognition that resilience cannot be imported, but ambition must now meet execution. Local production of medicines and vaccines is often framed as a cost challenge, yet in reality, it is an investment decision. Yes, building manufacturing capacity requires capital, technology transfer and regulatory strengthening but the cost of inaction is higher.
Delayed access to vaccines, shortages of essential medicines and exposure to external shocks carry both economic and human consequences. Africa has already demonstrated that progress is possible. During the pandemic, countries such as Senegal, South Africa and Rwanda moved to establish or expand vaccine manufacturing capacity. These efforts signal a shift from dependency to capability. What is required now is scale, and scaling up production demands more than factories; it requires an ecosystem.
First, regulatory systems must be strengthened and harmonized. Fragmented approval processes across markets increase costs and delay access. Initiatives such as the African Medicines Agency offer a pathway towards more coordinated, efficient oversight. A predictable regulatory environment is essential for attracting investment and ensuring quality. Second, financing must be aligned with long-term health priorities.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing is capital intensive and requires patient investment. Development finance institutions and multilateral lenders must step in with blended finance solutions that reduce risk and crowd in private capital. Without this, many projects will remain commercially unviable despite their strategic importance.
Third, procurement systems must support local industry. Governments are among the largest buyers of medicines. Aligning procurement policies to favour quality assured local manufacturers, while maintaining competitiveness, can create stable demand and encourage further investment. Fourth, partnerships must be redefined. Technology transfer and co-production arrangements between African and global pharmaceutical companies are essential. But these partnerships must move beyond transactional models towards genuine co-creation, where knowledge, skills and value are shared.
Kenya’s own trajectory illustrates both opportunity and challenge. With a growing pharmaceutical sector, expanding logistics infrastructure, a hub for international business and diplomacy, and a strategic position in East Africa, the country is well placed to play a regional role in manufacturing and distribution. Yet, like many others, it must navigate financing constraints, regulatory complexity and market fragmentation.
This, however, is not a uniquely Kenyan story but a continental one and the stakes are high. A more self-reliant pharmaceutical sector will not only improve access to medicines. It will create jobs, deepen industrial capacity and strengthen resilience against future health shocks. It will ensure that when the next crisis comes, Africa is not once again dependent on decisions made elsewhere.
The Africa Forward Summit provides an opportunity to accelerate this shift. Bringing together governments, industry leaders and development partners, it must move beyond commitments to concrete actions. Investment in manufacturing capacity, support for regulatory harmonisation, guaranteed markets, and structured partnerships must be at the Centre of the agenda. Health sovereignty does not mean isolation, it means capability. Africa will continue to engage, trade and partner globally but it must also build the capacity to meet its own essential needs, especially in times of crisis.
The lessons from recent years are clear. When systems are strained, every country turns inward. Africa cannot afford to be left waiting at the end of the line again. The time to build is now.
By Dr. Nicholas Muraguri, Advisor Global Health Diplomacy, State Department for Foreign Affairs, Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs