Generic drug makers urged to help close Africa’s medicine access gap

The report by the Access to Medicine Foundation says pharmaceutical companies are adapting to Africa’s changing health needs by expanding medicine portfolios, strengthening supply chains and investing in local manufacturing.

However, it warns that fragmented pharmaceutical markets, unpredictable demand, uneven financing and differing regulatory requirements across countries continue to limit the ability of manufacturers to expand access, particularly in underserved markets.

Africa’s health needs are shifting as non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer, account for an increasing share of the disease burden while infectious diseases and maternal health conditions remain significant challenges.

The report notes that access to essential medicines remains highly uneven across the continent. Only about half of people living with type 1 diabetes in Africa have reliable access to insulin, while fragmented procurement systems continue to hamper access to medicines for cardiovascular diseases.

The situation could become more pressing as NCDs are projected to become the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa within the next five years.

The study examined the approaches of eight generic medicine manufacturers—Aspen Pharmacare, Cipla, Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries, EVA Pharma, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Sothema, Universal Corporation Ltd and Viatris.

It found that the companies are pursuing different strategies to respond to changing demand and supply challenges.

Some are investing in local production of active pharmaceutical ingredients, while others are diversifying suppliers where local production is not feasible. Manufacturers are also seeking longer-term supply agreements to provide greater certainty over demand and production planning.

Several companies are expanding into therapeutic areas linked to the growing NCD burden, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, while continuing to supply medicines for infectious diseases and maternal health.

But the report says manufacturers face difficulties entering some therapeutic areas because of fragmented markets, uncertain demand and complex production requirements.

Partnerships are also evolving, with manufacturers increasingly engaging in arrangements involving technology transfer, regulatory support and localised production.

According to the report, such partnerships could help build sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity in Africa, but their impact will depend on whether they eventually enable local companies to develop greater technical and commercial independence.

The report argues that manufacturers alone cannot resolve the continent’s medicine supply challenges.

It calls for closer coordination among governments, pharmaceutical companies, regulators, procurement agencies, development finance institutions and global health organisations to create more predictable markets and encourage investment in production capacity.

Among the proposed measures are improving visibility of future demand, coordinating procurement, making medicine supply more affordable and predictable, harmonising regulatory requirements and reducing administrative barriers that delay market entry.

The report also calls for capital to be directed towards areas where manufacturing capacity and medicine supply gaps are greatest.

Claudia Martínez, Director of Research at the Access to Medicine Foundation, said manufacturers were making progress but would require broader support to expand medicine supply sustainably.

“Africa’s healthcare needs are evolving, and manufacturers across the ecosystem will play an important role in determining whether medicine supply evolves alongside them,” Martínez said.

She added that coordinated action would be necessary to ensure affordable medicines reach patients consistently and at scale.

The foundation says greater regional trade integration, regulatory harmonisation and investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing could create more favourable conditions for generic manufacturers to expand their presence across African markets.

The report ultimately frames the continent’s pharmaceutical challenge as both an access problem and an opportunity to strengthen local and regional production of essential medicines.