Rwanda becomes hub for pharmaceutical production in Africa

The host agreement was signed by both parties in Kigali, Rwanda on December 18.

Established in June 2022 following the request of African Union member states, the African Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation was created as an institution aimed at enhancing Africa's access to technology for manufacturing the full range of pharmaceutical products, local media The New Times reported.

APTF is designed to address issues confronting African indigenous pharmaceutical firms, including limited human and institutional capacities, challenges in adopting new technologies, and insufficient access to essential active pharmaceutical ingredients required for medications and antigens in vaccines.

Members that will serve in the chairmanship of the APTF Advisory Council include Rwandan president Paul Kagame, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and CEO of the African Development Bank, Adesina among others.

Africa currently imports over 70 percent of its required medications at a cost of up to $14 billion annually, while manufacturing only one percent of the necessary vaccines, according to AfDB data, quoted by local media The New Times.

“We are committed to advancing pharmaceutical technology for Rwanda and the entire Continent,” Dr. Vincent Biruta, Rwandan Foreign Affairs Minister said on X.

Speaking on the Foundation’s role, Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank said, “The success will depend on building local pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, assuring technology transfer and access to intellectual property rights, manufacturing processes and systems, equally important is the need to build the pharmaceutical and biomedical research and development ecosystems that can support world-class local pharmaceutical industries”.

Gelsomina Vilgiotti, European Investment Bank Vice President who was also present at the ceremony signed a partnership agreement with the Foundation to support its programmes advancement. She commended Rwanda for being a beacon of healthcare transformation in Africa, hosting various institutions, and contributing to the global focus on improving primary healthcare, diagnostics, and combating diseases across the continent.