The African Union Commission (AUC), the World Bank Group (WBG) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) convened a high-level technical workshop and a High-Level Dinner in Addis Ababa on 16 February 2026 to strengthen collaboration on expanding equitable access to essential medical products and accelerating local manufacturing across Africa in line with aspirations of Agenda 2063.

The technical workshop brought together stakeholders from the AUC and AU agencies, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), multilateral development banks, diplomatic missions, government representatives and development partners to align on shared objectives, targets and practical building blocks to increase access and local production of essential medical products. Participants discussed regulatory strengthening, market shaping, trade facilitation, skills development and supply chain mobilization, including preparations around the WBG’s forthcoming Africa Initiative for Medical Access and Manufacturing 2030 (AIM2030).

The High-Level Dinner, moderated by Dr. Michel Sidibé, was co-hosted by AUC Deputy Chairperson H.E. Selma Malika Haddadi and Ousmane Diagne, Regional Vice President, RVP Western & Central Africa, WBG and Ethiopis Tafara IFC Regional Vice President for Africa. The Dinner underscored the urgency of reducing Africa’s reliance on imports and building sustainable regional manufacturing ecosystems through coordinated public–private collaboration and shared accountability. Senior leadership from the AUC, Africa CDC, the African Medicines Agency (AMA), AUDA-NEPAD, the AfCFTA Secretariat, WHO and RECs participated in the discussion.

Participants reaffirmed that Africa, while bearing a significant share of the global disease burden, remains heavily dependent on imported medicines and vaccines, a vulnerability that can undermine health security and economic resilience. The engagements highlighted the importance of aligning ongoing continental efforts, including the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa, AfDB’s 2030 Continental Pharmaceutical and Vaccine Manufacturing Vision and Action Plan, and the WBG’s AIM2030, supported by Joint Action Plans developed under existing institutional cooperation frameworks.

Key priorities highlighted

Stakeholders converged around practical priorities to unlock investment and scale locally produced, quality-assured health products:

• A unified, time-bound roadmap and measurable targets, including agreed milestones toward 2030 and beyond, and practical KPIs to strengthen accountability.
• Regulatory strengthening and harmonization, through stronger National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs), REC-level work sharing, and accelerated operationalization of the African Medicines Agency (AMA), including reliance pathways and digital systems to reduce time-to-market.
• Procurement and market shaping, including pooled procurement and predictable, quality-based demand mechanisms to de-risk investment and create bankable volumes.
• Trade facilitation, including streamlining and digitizing customs and related processes, reviewing tariffs on key inputs, and advancing mutual recognition to reduce duplication.
• Skills development and R&D, through practice-first training, regional centres of excellence, and stronger pathways to translate research into products.
• Private sector mobilization and supply chain strengthening, including project preparation, fit-for-purpose blended finance, and improved distribution and traceability systems.

Toward AIM2030 as a continental partnership and accountability platform

The deliberations also highlighted the proposed AIM2030 platform as a mechanism to convene governments, regional bodies, financiers, industry and development partners around shared roadmaps, measurable indicators and continuous learning, helping to align and scale efforts to accelerate sustainable local pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Mr. Salaheddine TIAR  | Executive Assistant to the Deputy Chairperson | Cabinet of the Deputy Chairperson (CDCP) African Union Commission | E-mail: TiarS@africanunion.org.