The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD with support of partners is charged with the implementation of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing plan for Africa (PMPA) . The aim is to facilitate improved access to affordable essential medicines and catalyse local production in Africa through increased political commitments and workable solutions.

On 28 and 29 June 2022, the first consultative workshop on the development of a compendium of good pharmaceutical policies and practices for Africa was organised in Nairobi, Kenya, under the leadership of AUDA-NEPAD.

The workshop brought together experts in pharmaceuticals from Algeria, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Tunisia and Zimbabwe. Participants also included representatives of regional economic communities including East African Community (EAC), and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). Private sector was represented by senior executives of pharmaceutical manufacturers associations such as the Federation of African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations, Federation of East African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations, West African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations and Southern African Generic Manufacturers Association, as well as other private sector and non-profit organisations involved in promoting Africa’s health systems, including  Kenya Health Federation, Pitch World Fast and experts from PATH.

The workshop reviewed and examined current national/regional/continental policies, strategies and initiatives with the aim of identifying good policies, recognising gaps and agreeing on a roadmap to create an enabling policy environment for the manufacture of medical products in Africa. A Compendium of Good Pharma Policies and Practices will be launched in the coming months.

Most importantly, it was resolved to address concerns about the multiplicity of piecemeal initiatives and duplication of efforts around the local pharmaceutical production agenda in Africa by designing and committing to implement the PMPA Governance framework as a mechanism to strengthen coordination, foster strategic partnership and effective collaboration among all stakeholders involved in promoting the development of the local pharmaceutical production capability in Africa.