For decades, African nations have relied heavily on imported medications to treat their populations. In this opinion piece, Dr. Arnaud Kaboré, a pharmacist and engineer, outlines a practical roadmap for public leaders to achieve pharmaceutical sovereignty across the continent by 2045.

When dependence becomes a health crisis

Currently, fewer than five African countries operate pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities capable of supplying beyond their borders. This leaves the continent importing 94% of its medicines—an annual expenditure exceeding $18 billion, a figure projected to surpass $30 billion by 2030 (IFC, 2022). Yet the true cost extends beyond economics: it exposes a structural vulnerability in Africa’s healthcare systems.

Over 70% of public health facilities in Africa report at least one critical stockout per quarter (WHO, 2023). Is it sustainable—or even ethical—for the health of 1.4 billion Africans to hinge entirely on industrial, logistical, and geopolitical decisions made outside the continent? The Covid-19 pandemic laid bare this fragility: recurring shortages of essential drugs like amoxicillin, insulin, and anesthetics, coupled with chronic inaccessibility to cancer treatments and innovative therapies, have exacted a devastating human toll. Patients go untreated, prices surge threefold during shortages, and public health programs stall due to unavailable medications.

Yet Africa possesses undeniable advantages:

• A booming market: Africa’s pharmaceutical sector could exceed $70 billion by 2030 (McKinsey, 2022).
• A wealth of medicinal biodiversity: Over 5,400 documented medicinal plants, some already integrated into official treatment protocols (African Union).
• Progressive regulatory momentum: The African Medicines Agency (AMA), ratified by 27 nations, is standardizing pharmaceutical norms across the region.
• Political resolve: Countries like Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, and South Africa have launched ambitious local production initiatives.

Rebuilding African health: a sustainable pharmaceutical industry

A critical misstep has been attempting to replicate the models of global pharmaceutical giants without mastering the underlying value chains. Industrialization cannot be decreed—it must be built methodically, starting with accessible yet strategic segments.

Years of importing equipment without developing local expertise, technical know-how, or industrial assets have led to local production that is often more expensive than imports. This approach perpetuates dependence on foreign raw materials, technologies, and expertise, undermining any hope of achieving pharmaceutical sovereignty. The path to industrialization demands rigor, long-term vision, and an unwavering commitment to addressing the continent’s unique challenges.

To succeed, Africa must anchor its pharmaceutical strategy in its own strengths: a growing market, medicinal biodiversity, regulatory progress, and political will. This opinion piece offers a clear, actionable roadmap for public leaders to reclaim the continent’s health sovereignty by 2045. The message is simple: our health, our industry. Pharmaceutical industrialization must be part of a broader strategy to industrialize the continent, guided by a coherent vision, appropriate resources, and unshakable political determination. The goal? Produce locally to heal locally—and one day, heal the world.

Dr. Arnaud Kaboré
Pharmacist and Health Sector Executive Leader