Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has called on African leaders to accelerate the local production of medicines, vaccines and medical equipment, warning that the continent’s heavy dependence on imports leaves it exposed during global health emergencies.
Speaking at the African Union Extraordinary Health Summit in Accra, President Mahama said the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the dangers of relying on external suppliers after many African countries struggled to secure vaccines despite having the resources to pay.
Mahama noted that Africa currently imports about 70% of its medicines, more than 90% of its medical devices and over 99% of its vaccines, describing the situation as a major health security risk.
He highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen local pharmaceutical production, including vaccine manufacturing in Senegal, mRNA technology development in South Africa, Rwanda’s expanding biotechnology sector and Ghana’s plans to establish its own vaccine manufacturing industry.
He also announced progress toward making the African Medicines Agency fully operational and said continental initiatives on pharmaceutical ingredients and joint procurement would support local manufacturers, create jobs and strengthen Africa’s health systems under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
