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African heads of state have pledged to pool resources to establish regional drug manufacturing hubs, with an ambitious target of meeting at least 60 per cent of Africa's pharmaceutical demand by 2040.
Drawing inspiration from India's robust pharmaceutical sector which has over 10,000 manufacturing companies, the leaders expressed confidence that a united African effort would not only reduce drug prices significantly, but also generate considerable employment opportunities across the continent.
To facilitate such a vision, the leaders agreed to harmonise regulatory frameworks and engage collaboratively with institutions such as GAVI and the World Bank, which have pledged to share their extensive experiences in supply chain management and health infrastructure development.
The African leaders gathered to discuss urgent issues, including major funding reductions from international partners.
They made the commitment at a meeting on the sidelines of UNGA 80 in the US, where they are attending the UN General Assembly.
They recognised the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit held in Accra this year as an important initiative that had revitalised continent-wide discussions on health self-sufficiency and resilience.
They commended President John Dramani Mahama's leadership for his role at a meeting of the Committee of Heads of State and Government of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The Africa CDC outlined its strategic efforts to strengthen the continent's health resilience, including comprehensive training programmes, the establishment of operational centres, and the deployment of advanced surveillance systems.
The systems incorporate digital tools which were being extended to rural areas to ensure real-time connection for early detection and swift preventive action against the spread of pandemics like Mpox, Dengue Fever, Ebola, Cholera and other communicable diseases.
The US has cut its health funding to Africa by an estimated £8 billion, along with similar cuts by some EU nations.
The reductions, the African leaders acknowledged, highlighted the vulnerability of the continents's health systems and an urgent opportunity for the continent to break the cycle of dependency by prioritising domestic investment, fostering transparency and taking ownership of its health agenda.
President Mahama, whose “Accra Reset” was instrumental in setting the stage for the renewed discussions, also highlighted Ghana's proactive steps in that direction.
He mentioned some interventions by the government such as uncapping the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), expanding access to healthcare and the willingness to significantly increase investment in the health sector through the ‘Big Push' initiative starting next year.
Taking over the chair of the meeting from the Angolan President and the AU Chair, President Mahama called for increased commitment from all member states, urging more direct engagement with potential investors and donors through sustained advocacy.
A resolution was formally adopted to establish a policy framework to drive the meeting’s agenda, with key support from GAVI and the WHO, both expressing their commitment to revisit progress at another planned meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
