Breaking Barriers Strengthening Health Equity in Sub-Saharan Africa Through Improved Local Pharmaceutical Production

Access to essential medicines remains a significant challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, where over 70% of medications are imported, exposing countries to supply chain vulnerabilities and price fluctuations. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted these disparities, as vaccine nationalism disproportionately a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHealth and human rights Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 117 - 120
Main Authors SSEBIBUBBU, STUART, KIBIRA, DENIS, LUBANGA, ADRIANO
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States President and Fellows of Harvard College 01.06.2025
Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard University Press
Harvard FXB Center for Health and Human Rights
Subjects
Access
Accountability
Barriers
Civil society
COVID-19
Drugs
Health disparities
Health initiatives
Health needs
Immunization
Intellectual property
International trade
Medical technology
Nationalism
Pandemics
Partnerships
Pharmaceutical industry
Pharmaceuticals
Production
Property law
Property rights
Public health
Public private partnerships
Regulatory reform
Supply
Technology transfer
Trade agreements
Vaccines
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Summary:Access to essential medicines remains a significant challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, where over 70% of medications are imported, exposing countries to supply chain vulnerabilities and price fluctuations. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted these disparities, as vaccine nationalism disproportionately affected African nations. Strengthening local pharmaceutical production is essential not only for health security but also for fulfilling the right to health. Systemic barriers, including restrictive trade agreements and intellectual property laws, hinder the development of robust pharmaceutical industries capable of addressing the continent's health needs. Initiatives like the World Health Organization's mRNA technology transfer program and the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator represent positive steps, yet deeper political and financial commitments are necessary. A rights-based approach to medicine access requires investment in local production, regulatory reforms, and enhanced accountability mechanisms. Empowering civil society and fostering public-private partnerships can help ensure equitable access to medicines. Without urgent action to dismantle structural barriers, millions will continue to suffer from inadequate access to lifesaving treatments, perpetuating health inequities across the region.
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Competing interests: None declared.
ISSN:1079-0969
2150-4113
2150-4113