The EU-Africa Business Forum 2022 offers the opportunity to further explore how pharmaceutical productive capacities in Africa can be fostered and identify what framework conditions are required to facilitate development of the continent´s industry.

The panel will include private sector representatives and policy makers from Africa and Europe and will build on insights generated to date (e.g. through the African led initiatives, and European Commission undertakings such as its on-going dialogue with the R&D based pharmaceutical industry). It will explore solutions for critical pharmaceutical development requirements such as access to finance, availability of skills and the need for strong regulatory oversight.

It will seek to identify what is required from a conducive environment within which the private sector can deliver, and will provide recommendations on how this can be achieved.

Africa is dependent on imports for 70-90% of its essential medicines and 99% of vaccines. As a result, the continent is vulnerable to shocks to global supply chains and the vagaries of global demand. Strengthening the pharmaceutical industry in Africa is a multifaceted undertaking. It is an agenda that covers a range of different sectors and steps in the value chain, is technically, economically and politically complex, and requires sustained, long-term, commitment across multiple stakeholders.

The pandemic has highlighted the need to find solutions to long standing health challenges and has brought a renewed emphasis to the local pharmaceutical production agenda. To these ends, Team Europe has launched its MAV+ initiative with €1bn in funding over the next 6 years, and a number of EU Member States are prioritising this agenda. African leaders have established a number of initiatives including the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM), and recent developments on the AMA and AfCFTA can be drivers of private sector development. Investments in a number of vaccine facilities have been fast tracked and African Union Member States are further prioritising pharmaceutical industry strengthening. African private sector has been a strong advocate for the importance of strengthening the pharmaceutical industry and stands ready to play its role as a key partner in improving public health.

Furthermore, the European pharmaceutical industry is committed to increasing equitable access to innovation and safe, effective, quality assured essential medicines and vaccines. Hence different stakeholders share a common purpose, but how can the promise of this consensus be realised?

Main questions to be addressed

• What needs to be addressed to accelerate Africa’s drive to strengthen its pharmaceutical industry? What are the main bottlenecks observed, how do these vary across industry sectors, and what is required to resolve them?
• How can EU industry and public authorities help foster the development of local pharmaceutical production in Africa, build capacity and support the evolution of a conducive business environment?
• Which approaches have proven successful in driving high-quality production of essential medicines and vaccines in Africa and which less so? What are the lessons that can be learned and how can market based solutions be harnessed to drive sustainable progress?
• How can business partnerships between Africa and Europe in the pharmaceutical sector be promoted as a basis for technology transfer and to drive innovation for Africa´s health priorities?

Structure of session

Panellists will be invited to provide brief introductory comments. These will be followed by a moderated discussion which, time permitting, will incorporate comments and questions from the audience.

This online workshop at EABF22 is jointly organized by DG GROW, IFPMA, EFPIA and VaccinesEurope.