Pharmaceutical Sector Development in Africa: Progress to Date

The African Union’s Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa was established to develop the African pharmaceutical industry, a sector with considerable promise for reducing the burden of disease in Africa. With a projected value of over US$40 billion by the next decade, the sector also has the potential to promote economic growth. Additionally, as a technology-based industry it is positioned to advance Africa’s aspiration to transition into a knowledge-based economy. Considerable progress has been made since the development of a business plan for implementing the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa. This includes initiatives to harmonize medicine regulation on the continent, address human capacity and skills shortages, and to promote cooperation and advocacy in the industry. The promise of the sector has also galvanized countries and regions with manufacturing capacity to harness support for its development. The rate-limiting step in this quest is making funding available to build the needed capacity in infrastructure and in Good Manufacturing Practices, as stipulated by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa. A proposed new initiative, the Fund for African Pharmaceutical Development, currently under consideration by the African Union, may provide the boost needed to overcome this final hurdle.