The Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, Rt Hon Thomas Tayebwa, has called on African countries to seize the opportunity to build a stronger, more independent health sector by investing in local pharmaceutical production and deeper intra-Africa cooperation.
Speaking at the Africa Health Summit held at Kololo on Friday, Tayebwa said the continent must draw serious lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and current global geopolitical shifts to ensure it is better prepared for future health crises.
He noted that while other global blocs tend to unite in times of difficulty, African countries still respond in a fragmented manner.
“Tough situations will come again and they must find us prepared,” he said.
Tayebwa outlined two key priorities for the continent: fully exploiting intra-Africa trade, which now stands at more than USD 220 billion, and investing in home-grown pharmaceutical industries to cut dependence on imports.
He questioned why African countries continue to import antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) and diagnostic kits when there are companies on the continent with the capacity to produce them at scale.
Africa currently spends more than USD 14 billion annually on importing medicine, resources that Tayebwa said could instead be channelled into developing a robust continental pharmaceutical sector.
The Deputy Speaker told delegates that Uganda is already moving in this direction by investing in companies such as Dei Pharma and Quality Chemical Industries Limited, positioning the country as a potential hub for medical supplies in the region.
“To secure Africa’s medical supply chain, it is important that all countries follow Uganda’s example. Our doors are open for them to learn,” he added.
The summit’s guest of honour, Rt Hon Amason Kingi, Speaker of the Senate of Kenya, highlighted positive trends across the continent, including growing innovation and reforms that are reshaping the health sector.
He noted that if these efforts are sustained, Africa will move closer to its goal of an independent, efficient and effective health system.
Tayebwa said he left the summit encouraged and optimistic, but emphasised that achieving the health system Africa aspires to will require sustained collaboration, hard work and political will across the continent.
