Towards a China-AU-UN Tripartite Framework for Action on Local Production of Medicines and Health Commodities in Africa

Mr. Michel Sidibe, Special Envoy of African Medicines Agency,

His Excellency Ibrahima Sory Sylla, Ambassador of the Republic of Senegal to China, Co-Chair of FOCAC,

Ms. Amakobe Sande, Representative of UNICEF to China,

Dr. Erasmus Morah, Director and Representative of UNAIDS China Office,

Mr. Stephen Kargbo, Representative of UNIDO to China,

Ambassadors, Excellencies, and Distinguished Guests,

We have gathered here today to discuss a critical issue: the necessity for a tripartite collaboration between the United Nations, the African Union, and China to support local manufacturing of medicines and health commodities in Africa.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has served as a clear reminder of why self-reliance in healthcare is critical, and this trilateral collaboration will help Africa and the rest of the globe greatly.

Cooperation of this magnitude would considerably improve Africa's ability to respond to health crises and emergencies, not only in the face of a pandemic like COVID-19, but also in the face of other diseases that continue to plague the continent. 

Africa can become less reliant on imports and less subject to supply chain disruptions by building local production facilities. This will result in increased access to life-saving medicines and health commodities, safeguarding the African population's health and well-being.

A three-way collaboration would promote job creation and economic progress by promoting increased public-private partnerships. Local manufacturing facilities would require qualified workers, technicians, and researchers, creating job possibilities for the local community. This would not only alleviate poverty but would also help the economy by increasing productivity and investment in local industries. Africa may position itself as a health care and production hub by encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation in the pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors.

Ms. Winnie Byanyima, the Executive Director of the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), once remarked, “It is important that we build our manufacturing capacity in Africa. There may be some in South Africa, a few in Nigeria and maybe in Egypt, but we need to pool together, produce our own medicines and share the African market. That is something we feel strongly about at UNAIDS. We are working with the African Union and have some collaborations with China to promote local manufacturing. This is high on our agenda.”

Such a collaboration would boost technological transfer and knowledge sharing. With its sophisticated manufacturing skills, China can work with Africa to establish strong infrastructure and manufacturing facilities. 

This transfer of technology and expertise would enable Africans to create their own solutions, establish local capacity, and achieve long-term sustainability in the manufacture of medicines and health commodities. 

Collaborating to establish at least one continental hub for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients would fundamentally change the trajectory and potential of African pharmaceutical manufacturing. The time to move African pharmaceutical production beyond Fill & Finish is now.

Similarly, collaborating with African entrepreneurs to expand the conversion of abundant African raw materials such as palm oil, latex, and cotton into essential medical devices and health commodities would be a game changer. A strategic shift to producing essential medical devices on the continent at scale is overdue.

Working together to ensure a strong African Medicines Agency and Regional Centers of Regulatory Excellence would ensure Africans have better access to quality medicines, faster and in forms better suited to African needs. A strong AMA is vital to Africa’s New Public Health Order.

A trilateral collaboration would boost international collaboration and foster mutual understanding and support. It would be a great example of international cooperation, with the UN, the African Union, and China all working together for a common goal, the well-being and health of Africans. This cooperation can ensure effective project execution, monitoring, and assessment by leveraging the United Nations' considerable experience and resources.

This could serve as a model for the African Continental Free Trade Area. Here, health can act as a bridge to peace. 

The necessity and significance of a tripartite relationship between the United Nations, the African Union, and China on local production of medicines and health commodities in Africa cannot be emphasized enough. This alliance can change the future of healthcare in Africa by building self-reliance, assuring access to quality healthcare, boosting economic growth, and advancing technology and knowledge. 

Let us seize this chance to make Africa healthier and wealthier for the benefit of all its people.

Excellencies, you can count on the entire UN family in China and UN Country teams in Africa to work together to make this critical and required enterprise a reality.