WHO-certified Egyptian drug expertise to lead Africa’s “strategic” shift in medicine production

Local manufacturing of health products is no longer a developmental option but a “strategic necessity” to ensure African health sovereignty and security, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said on Saturday.

 

Speaking at a presidential roundtable on health manufacturing in Addis Ababa, on the sidelines of the African Union Summit, Abdelatty stated that the continent’s health security depends on its ability to produce vaccines and medicines locally to reduce “excessive dependence” on external sources.

The minister highlighted that the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) is the first regulator in Africa to reach World Health Organisation (WHO) maturity level 3 for both medicines and vaccines, and is currently progressing toward level 4. He confirmed Egypt’s readiness to place this expertise at the continent’s disposal to unify standards and accelerate sustainable local production.

Abdelatty further urged African nations that have not yet ratified the treaty establishing the African Medicines Agency (AMA) to do so immediately. He described the AMA as a “continental tool for sovereignty” that would provide a unified regulatory framework, reduce costs, and enhance the reliability of African pharmaceutical products.