We are working in partnership to help create a dynamic and collaborative public health ecosystem in Africa that puts people at its heart.

Our goal is to improve patient experience, health outcomes, and the allocation of resources.

We do this through an ecosystem approach that features innovation, access, health systems strengthening, regulatory harmonization and the fight against falsified medicines, UHC, investment and trade, encompassed by business integrity.

Our ecosystem approach is designed to make sure:

IFPMA and members active on the continent, local African producers, international institutions, governments, and other stakeholders are involved in exploring solutions and initiatives to enhance and sustain local manufacturing across Africa.

Imports currently meet 99% of vaccine and 70% of essential medicine supply needs in Africa. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this major dependency, along with weakened health systems, seriously impacted the supply of vaccines and many essential medicines.

As a result, African leaders are developing the innovative pharmaceutical industry in Africa as a health security priority.

Including the private sector is vital to achieve a productive national, regional, and continental market environment.

In November 2021, together with the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), Vaccines Europe, and the European Commission, IFPMA declared our intention to consider sustainable initiatives to help stimulate production in Africa.

We keenly engage in dialogue and have led several high-level discussions, as well as supported platforms considering sustainable, market-based conditions for stronger manufacturing and partnerships in Africa.

These include with the European African Business Forum (EABF) and the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacture (PAVM).

Currently, the African vaccine manufacturing industry develops, produces, and supplies just 1% of vaccine doses needed on the continent.

The PAVM was established by the African Union in 2021 to work toward enabling the African industry to develop, produce, and supply over 60% of doses needed on the continent by 2040.

Since 2021, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has worked with stakeholders across the continent to define what’s needed to develop a sustainable vaccine manufacturing industry in Africa.

The EABF has been the main event before AU-EU Summits since 2006. It’s organized jointly by the European Commission, the African Union, and business organizations.

In 2022, an EABF Declaration representing local and international health industries operating in Africa highlighted the need for conducive business environments. These would enable public-private dialogue, better integration of EU and AU value chains, and the overall strengthening of EU-AU bilateral business relations.

Overall, there was an emphasis on the need for equal partnership between the EU and AU.

Public-private partnerships play a critical role in solving global health challenges.

IFPMA engages with African policy, research, civil society, private sector, national, and public health stakeholders to strive for UHC on the continent. We understand that a multisectoral approach to collaborative innovation is necessary and partnering with private sector to expand access to vital health services is key.

As African national governments establish people-centered health services, we work to support their efforts in boosting health system resilience. We prioritize strengthening health systems by increasing equitable access to medicines for all, reinforcing capacity for vital services delivery, and propelling innovation and R&D.

Health innovation is happening in Africa. African health stakeholders in partnerships with IFPMA and our members will be key to co-creating a healthy innovation ecosystem, where stakeholders in Africa can catalyze new funds and seed thriving health innovation development.

Harmonized legal and regulatory frameworks are needed to enable innovation and collaboration, as well as greater coherence between trade and health policies.

When policy environments are conducive to innovation and learning new skills, the innovative pharmaceutical industry and African health stakeholders can continue to improve population health in Africa.

Through partnerships with African policy makers, academia, youth innovators, health stakeholders, and the local biotechnology industry, IFPMA supports a robust research and development ecosystem in Africa.

This is growing steadily to address multidimensional challenges to accessible and quality health resources and medicines.