Africa’s Drug Import Dependence Sparks Alarm as AHF Demands Regulatory Reforms

The heavy dependence of African countries on imported medicines has renewed calls for urgent reforms to strengthen local pharmaceutical production and reduce barriers to the movement of medical products across the continent.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) says fragmented drug regulatory systems, inconsistent approval requirements and delays in product registration are undermining Africa’s capacity to develop a self-reliant pharmaceutical industry.

The organisation has therefore urged African governments to accelerate the ratification of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty and support a harmonised regulatory framework that will make it easier for locally manufactured medicines to reach markets across the continent.

The appeal was made during the inaugural African Medicines Agency Week in Kigali, Rwanda, held from October 25 to 30, 2026.

AHF observed that although Africa’s pharmaceutical market was estimated at 30 billion dollars, between 70 and 95 per cent of medicines consumed on the continent were imported, exposing countries to international supply chain disruptions.

It also cited presentations at the event indicating that Africa recorded a pharmaceutical trade deficit of approximately 12.5 billion dollars in 2020.

According to figures presented during the meeting, only 33 African Union member states had ratified the AMA Treaty as of October 2026, leaving more than 20 countries yet to complete the process.

AHF Executive Vice President, Penninah Iutung, said the continent’s dependence on imported medicines posed a major challenge to its ambition of achieving health sovereignty.

She noted that a coordinated regulatory system would help African countries strengthen their pharmaceutical industries and improve access to essential medicines.

“Africa cannot achieve health sovereignty while remaining heavily dependent on imported medicines and vulnerable to disruptions in global supply chains. We commend AMA for taking this bold step towards a more coordinated regulatory environment,” Iutung said.

She called on governments to translate their commitments into concrete action by accelerating the treaty’s ratification and supporting the agency’s mandate.

The discussions also exposed the regulatory bottlenecks confronting pharmaceutical manufacturers operating in different African markets.

Findings presented during AMA Week showed that about 80 per cent of manufacturers who participated in the discussions identified unpredictable regulatory review and approval timelines as a major obstacle to their operations.

Another 77 per cent cited variations in regulatory requirements across African countries, while 54 per cent identified duplicated submissions, assessments and inspections as significant challenges.

AHF said the situation increases manufacturing costs, delays the availability of medicines and discourages investment in local pharmaceutical production.

It argued that harmonised standards, predictable approval processes and shared regulatory assessments would reduce duplication and enable manufacturers to distribute quality-assured medicines across several African countries more efficiently.

The Executive Director of the AHF Global Public Health Institute, Dr Jorge Saavedra, said the African Medicines Agency offered an important opportunity for the continent to strengthen its collective capacity to safeguard public health.

He, however, stressed that regulatory harmonisation alone would not guarantee pharmaceutical independence without investments in technology transfer, research and development and African scientific institutions.

“Regulatory harmonisation must go hand in hand with technology transfer, research and development, and the strengthening of African scientific institutions,” Saavedra said.

He maintained that Africa must move beyond discussions about health sovereignty and establish practical mechanisms that would strengthen its capacity to research, develop and manufacture essential medical products.

AHF expressed its readiness to collaborate with African governments, the AMA, researchers, universities, civil society organisations and pharmaceutical industry stakeholders to advance a more resilient and self-reliant health system.

The African Medicines Agency is expected to improve coordination among national medicines regulatory authorities, promote common regulatory standards and expand access to safe, effective and quality-assured medical products across the continent.