Global Insight Perspective | |
Significance | Local production of pharmaceuticals is extremely low in the region, with nine countries having no capacity at all and 34 achieving secondary-level production only (i.e., finished dosages only). The African Union (AU) is to formulate a plan of action in a bid to facilitate increased drug manufacturing in the region and is set to bolster research and development (R&D). |
Implications | The primary focus will be placed on funding requirements and legislative frameworks, including manufacturing standards and pricing policies that have been found to be inconsistent. |
Outlook | While these efforts are commendable, it is the AU's implementation—rather than policies—in member countries will be crucial to spurring pharmaceutical production in sub-Saharan Africa. Notably, in terms of increasing scientific knowledge and development, the AU's 1980 plan of action is yet to be fully implemented. |
The first technical committee of the African Union (AU)'s Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa is to kick off in a week's time. The agenda for the committee draws from a report by the African Union Commission (AUC) focused specifically on the region's legislative framework and production infrastructure. The following issues are to be examined:
- regional definition;
- mapping of pharmaceutical plants, human-resource identification;
- infrastructure assessment;
- identification of products to be manufactured by different regions;
- level of manufacturing (primary, secondary, tertiary);
- market prospecting within the continent and beyond;
- identifying opportunities for new technological inventions; and
- financial-resource requirements.
Source: African Union website
Technology Transfer, Trade and Healthcare Objectives
Some of the primary conclusions from the AUC's report are the encouragement of technology transfers in order to build a strong industrial research and development (R&D) platform. Enrolling the private industry, as well as international bodies such as the World Bank, is to be explored. This is particularly significant for carrying out primary production that involves manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and intermediates from basic chemicals and intermediates. Currently almost 90% of pharmaceutical demand in the region is met by imports from India and China, and the effort here is to reduce dependence and improve the continents accessibility of affordable drugs. This has often given rise to contrasting trade and health policies that have so far t been unfavourable to the industry.
Another point of debate is the products to be manufactured. HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malarial treatments are expected to take the primary focus, but the essential medicines list is not consistent among AU member-countries and will feature in future discussions on production focus.
Outlook and Implications:
The AU's measures set an important precedent in the region, and the focus on pharmaceutical manufacturing is long overdue. However, there is still some doubt over the AU's implementation. So far, the issues examined have ventured into sensitive domains, such as the tension between health and trade objectives, political influences and TRIPS (intellectual property) legislation. Examining these aspects will not guarantee the eventual success of the AU policies on pharma production. The Union's past policies on scientific knowledge and development have not developed into positive action. But the involvement of international donors and the committee's resolve to "analyze PhRMA [Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America] and other similar organizations and their geopolitical influence" is encouraging. Also, the 2007 science and technology gathering's policy focus to establish a pan-African intellectual-property organisation and a 20-year strategy to promote cooperation on research in biotechnology is expected to add impetus to the overall campaign.
Africa's problems in pharmaceutical production centre largely on funding requirements and its abject state of health infrastructure, including medicine-supply systems. The new initiatives are designed to create some benefits from local production measures, including foreign-exchange savings, social development, stimulating exports, cheaper and more readily available drugs and enhancing self-sufficiency in drug supply.