UNITAID has launched a landmark US$50 million initiative to accelerate the local and regional production of life-saving medicines, diagnostics, and vaccines across Africa.
The programme—touted by industry stakeholders as a major step toward the continent’s health sovereignty and pandemic preparedness—was unveiled at the Africa Healthcare Manufacturing Trade and Exhibition Conference (AHMTEC) in Accra.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Ghanaian Times on the sidelines of the conference, Mr Robert Matiru, Director of the Programme Division at UNITAID, said the new initiative—Regional Manufacturing for Equitable Access in Africa (RMEA)—would prioritise medical products targeting HIV/AIDS, malaria, and maternal health.
“The reason we’re here in Accra this week is to promote regional and local production in Africa,” Mr Matiru said.
“We’re bringing together manufacturers, funders, regulators, and other key stakeholders to strengthen the enabling ecosystem for local manufacturing.”
The RMEA programme is part of UNITAID’s broader US$1.3 billion investment portfolio in health product innovation. It aims to help African manufacturers bring key treatments and diagnostics to market within four years while building long-term capacity and market stability.
Mr Matiru emphasised the programme’s dual focus: “industrialisation and equitable access,” insisting that “access to health products has to come first.”
“We must improve intra-Africa trade. The enabling ecosystem is as important as the manufacturing itself—everything from stronger regulation to smarter procurement,” he noted.
He called on African governments to create environments conducive to pharmaceutical and health-tech production.
“You need leadership from the top. In Nigeria, the president has made health industrialisation a national priority. Governments must provide incentives like special economic zones, tax reductions, and preferential tendering for local manufacturers,” he said.
Without such measures, he warned, African companies may struggle to compete with imports despite their capacity to produce high-quality, affordable products.
“An African manufacturer can be both cost-competitive and quality-assured. We’ve done the numbers. Our approach ensures that manufacturers can make affordable products without compromising quality,” he added.
UNITAID expects to identify its first partner manufacturers for both therapeutics and diagnostics by early 2026. By 2027, the goal is to have “multiple quality-assured, cost-competitive products” on the market.
Beyond immediate health impact, Mr Matiru said the RMEA initiative will strengthen the continent’s future pandemic response capacity.
He stressed the need for a regional outlook over fragmented national efforts.
“Regional production—not national silos—is essential for success. Governments should adopt a regional, African approach. That vision aligns perfectly with Ghana’s Pan-African legacy,” he said.
Ms Faith Khanyisile Mangwanya, Programme Manager at UNITAID, said coordination and financing remain the biggest hurdles.
“We need to engage governments, continental institutions, civil society and communities. Coordination is the biggest challenge,” she said.
“Our foundational investment is $50 million, but manufacturers will need many times that amount to make the capital and operational investments required.”
To bridge this gap, she said UNITAID is engaging African development finance institutions such as Afrexim Bank, AfricInvest, and the African Development Bank.
“These institutions bring loans, equity, and guarantees. UNITAID brings grant financing that can be blended with these instruments to amplify impact,” she explained.
The initiative also aligns with Africa’s efforts to strengthen trade integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
BY DAVID ADADEVOH
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