Reflections from WHA78: Strengthening Local Manufacturing and Advancing Equitable Access in Africa

The 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) held in Geneva was a remarkable event that brought together global health leaders, policymakers, and advocates to discuss pressing health issues. This year provided a powerful opportunity to listen, learn, and reflect on the future of equitable access to health products.

One of the most thought-provoking sessions was a side event hosted by Ambassador Christophe Payot, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations, titled “Navigating evolving contexts: From local production to equitable access – lessons from MAV+ on bridging the gap.”

The event, organised by Team Europe MAV+, convened a wide range of global and regional stakeholders committed to strengthening local manufacturing and improving equitable access across the entire health value chain. The discussions were timely and deeply relevant to ongoing work under AUDA-NEPAD, particularly in shaping strategies around Africa’s 24 Priority Products for Local Manufacturing.

A Shift Toward End-to-End Thinking

A consistent theme throughout the dialogue was the importance of an end-to-end approach — ensuring that equitable access is not treated as the final step, but embedded at every point:

research and development

• regulatory approval

• local manufacturing

• procurement

• supply chain distribution

• last-mile delivery

  
  

Speakers stressed that access is not a downstream issue; it is a systems issue. Decisions made early in the pipeline influence whether communities ultimately receive safe, affordable, and quality health products.

The Critical Role of Local Manufacturing

Local production emerged as a cornerstone of Africa’s long-term health security. Participants reiterated that manufacturing vaccines, medicines, and health technologies on the continent is essential — but only effective when supported by:

• strong regulatory systems

• predictable financing

• reliable supply chains

• interoperability across markets

• a prepared and skilled workforce

  
  

This aligns closely with the direction of continental efforts to accelerate local pharmaceutical manufacturing and improve self-reliance.

Regulatory Harmonisation: A Key Enabler

Chimwemwe Chamdimba provided valuable insights into the progress of the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) initiative. AMRH’s work to streamline regulatory requirements, reduce duplication, and align quality standards is transforming the environment for local producers.

Without harmonised regulatory systems, even the best manufacturing investments struggle to reach their intended impact. Strengthening AMRH is therefore pivotal in ensuring that locally produced health products can circulate efficiently, safely, and at scale.

The Role of Communities in Equitable Access

Although the discussions largely centred around manufacturing, financing, and regulatory frameworks, an underlying truth remains:

Equitable access ultimately succeeds or fails at the community level.

Communities — including patients, caregivers, grassroot innovators, frontline health workers, and local organisations — are often the first to identify gaps and the first to create workable solutions. Their insights are essential for designing products that are acceptable, accessible, and relevant to local realities.

Any future strategy that aims to strengthen local manufacturing and access must therefore recognise communities as active contributors, not passive recipients.

“We Live in a Global Village”

One statement from the panel captured the spirit of the discussions:

“We don’t work in isolation. We live in a global village.”

Achieving equitable access will depend on collaborative partnerships — across governments, regional bodies, the private sector, academia, and communities. It requires creative and strategic alignment across continents and across levels of the health system.

Looking Ahead

For those working on the African continent — whether in manufacturing, regulation, access to medicines, or community health — WHA78 reinforced a shared commitment:

durable progress will only come through coordination, mutual accountability, and a whole-of-value-chain approach.