Ruto urges Africa to scale up medicine production amid import dependence warning

Africa’s heavy reliance on imported medicines despite bearing a large share of global illnesses has been flagged as a growing risk that demands urgent action through joint investment in local drug manufacturing.

President William Ruto has called on African countries to work more closely together and expand pharmaceutical production across the continent, saying the current gap between disease burden and medicine output continues to expose millions to avoidable health and supply shocks.

Speaking on Tuesday during the launch of the Africa Initiative for Medical Access and Manufacturing (AIM2030) in Nairobi, he said the situation can only be fixed through stronger industrial capacity and coordinated regional planning.

Ruto painted a detailed picture of the imbalance, noting that Africa carries nearly 25 per cent of the global disease burden while accounting for less than 20 per cent of the world’s population.

However, he said the continent produces less than six per cent of its medical supplies, only about one-third of its pharmaceutical needs, and just one per cent of the vaccines it consumes.

“This is more than a health gap. It is a structural vulnerability. Africa’s pharmaceutical expenditure stands at approximately 25 dollars per capita, compared to a global average of more than 160 dollars. That disparity reflects not only constrained access but also underdeveloped markets and limited industrial capacity,” he said.

He warned that the low spending levels reflect deeper structural weaknesses in production systems, market size and investment flows, which continue to slow down growth in the sector.

Across Africa, he said there are about 700 pharmaceutical manufacturers, but most are small or medium-sized firms concentrated in only a few countries. This, he added, limits scale, competitiveness and resilience, especially during global disruptions.

Ruto also pointed to several barriers affecting growth in the sector, including fragmented regulatory systems, weak regional market integration, infrastructure gaps, shortage of skilled workers and unpredictable demand patterns that discourage long-term private investment.

Recalling the COVID-19 period, he said the crisis exposed how fragile Africa’s supply systems are when global demand spikes.

“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed these weaknesses with devastating clarity. Africa was last in line. We must never allow that to happen again,” he said.

He stressed that no single country can solve the challenge alone, urging African states to operate as a single market. He pushed for full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which he said would unlock a market of about 1.6 billion people.

He also called for faster rollout of the African Medicines Agency and better coordination in investment planning to build predictable demand for manufacturers.

Ruto noted that Africa’s pharmaceutical market was valued at about 30 billion dollars in 2024 and is expected to rise above 50 billion dollars by 2030, saying the sector represents both a health necessity and an industrial growth opportunity.

He said the AIM2030 programme is designed as a practical platform to expand access to quality medicines, strengthen health systems and support industrial growth through manufacturing, innovation and job creation.

The initiative is aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the goal of producing at least 60 per cent of Africa’s health products locally by 2040.

He also said Kenya is positioning itself as a regional hub for pharmaceutical production and health innovation, supported by its location in Eastern Africa, transport systems including the Port of Mombasa and the Standard Gauge Railway, a skilled workforce and a stable investment environment.

Kenya is also upgrading its National Regulatory Authority to reach World Health Organisation Maturity Level 3, a step aimed at increasing confidence in locally made medical products.

“Our ambition is clear: to position Kenya as a regional hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing, health innovation, and medical supply chains. And this journey is already underway,” he said.

“To African governments: let us fully implement our commitments on regulatory harmonisation, market integration, and industrial policy so that we can unlock Africa’s manufacturing potential.”