African manufacturers commit to healthcare self-reliance drive

The 2025 African Healthcare Manufacturing Trade Exhibition and Conference (AHMTEC), held from October 7–9 in Accra, Ghana, concluded with bold commitments to strengthen Africa’s healthcare manufacturing ecosystem and advance the continent’s self-reliance agenda.

The event brought together 264 participants, including representatives from 60 manufacturers and 110 organisations, and received coverage from 24 media outlets.

Now in its second year, AHMTEC reaffirmed its core mission of uniting manufacturers to champion industry-driven solutions that advance Africa’s journey toward self-reliance.

The three-day conference reaffirmed its unique mandate to convene manufacturers and policymakers to develop industry-led solutions that address Africa’s persistent dependence on imported healthcare products.

The Government of Ghana led the opening and closing ceremonies, reaffirming its commitment to invest in and promote regional manufacturing. Ghanaian manufacturers also played an active role, showcasing their facilities and contributing to site visits organised during the event.

The launch of the African Manufacturing Market Intelligence and Network Analysis (AMMINA) platform, spearheaded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Africa CDC with support from Health 4 Development, marked a major milestone.

The platform consolidates data from 18 countries, covering 700 manufacturers and 2,570 products, to guide strategic decision-making and investment across the continent’s healthcare manufacturing sector.

The event also saw active participation from the African Medicines Agency (AMA), Africa CDC and AUDA-NEPAD, reinforcing continental leadership and regulatory oversight in driving the industrialization of Africa’s healthcare industry.

Another major highlight was the Women in Healthcare Manufacturing (WiHMA) network’s engagement with Unitaid on its US$50 million Regional Manufacturing for Equitable Access in Africa (RMEA) initiative. The dialogue focused on expanding product capacity and market access for treatments and diagnostics related to HIV/AIDS, malaria and maternal health.

The outcomes of the conference were captured in the Accra Declaration, a collective commitment that outlines a clear roadmap to scale up investment in the production of quality-assured healthcare products and strengthen manufacturing capacity across the continent.

The declaration represents a unified pledge by industry leaders to advance Africa’s healthcare self-sufficiency through collaboration, innovation, and shared accountability.

A key focus of the declaration is market access, with manufacturers urging all procurement stakeholders to prioritise and expand demand for locally produced healthcare goods. This call aims to boost domestic production, strengthen regional supply chains and ensure that African-made products play a central role in meeting the continent’s healthcare needs.

The declaration also underscores the need for regulatory harmonisation and investment coordination. It calls for the alignment of national and regional policies to facilitate cross-border market entry for African manufacturers, while establishing a Healthcare Manufacturing Funders Forum to enhance collaboration, mobilise innovative financing and channel investments toward Africa’s healthcare industrialisation priorities.

The next edition of AHMTEC will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from October 6–8, 2026. It will serve as a platform to assess progress under the Accra Declaration and deepen cooperation towards building a sustainable and self-reliant healthcare manufacturing industry across Africa.

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