The European Centre for Development Policy Management (ecdpm) has released a report on the subject of comprehensive joint European Union and African Union action on the manufacturing of health products in African regional hubs. 

In the context of the health partnership between the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU), African and European leaders want to strengthen Africa’s local capacity to manufacture vaccines and health products. In doing so, the objective is to improve access to affordable and quality health products, enhance Africa’s autonomous capacity to meet its health needs, and support the development of resilient health systems. This brief highlights ten key considerations for policymakers to take into account to achieve this objective.

The sixth EU-AU Summit is an opportunity to create political momentum for setting up regional pharma-manufacturing hubs in Africa for local production of vaccines and health products. It could also pave the way for a more holistic and coordinated approach between Africa and Europe to address the urgent health-related challenges they are confronted with. Such a comprehensive approach could furthermore help deepen trade and regional integration, and contribute to strengthening the resilience of health systems.

Please read the full report here.