Africa in quest for local drugs

African countries have put in place plans to produce essential drugs for the continent's needs.

Countries across the continent have joined hands to form the African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation (ANDI) to strengthen research towards developing homegrown pharmaceutical products tailored to local health needs.

The network’s 12 member board that will lead the initiative, and on which Kenya sits on behalf of East Africa, was launched in Nairobi on Monday.

Kenya's Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi said that through the initiative, the country would be able to provide health services for its citizens as a basic human right as provided for under Kenya's new Constitution.

Speaking when he delivered a keynote address at the forum’s official opening, Mr Mudavadi noted that providing this right not only involved addressing weaknesses in health systems, but also ensuring adequate and equitable availability of essential medicines, vaccines and diagnostic devices in the country.

Unifying Factor

Public health minister Beth Mugo said that limited access to essential drugs and other health products by majority of the population is a major unifying factor in the network.

“Until Africa produces its own medicines and other medical products, we will not be able to beat this foe of disease,” Ms Mugo said.

The minister said that the continent has a lot of potential for health research and development which remains largely untapped.

“We are capable of developing our own solutions to address our health needs,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the assistant regional director of the World Health Organisation in the African region.

Under the ANDI initiative, a research fund will be set up and regional hubs established across the continent for research institutions designated as centres for excellence.

According to Ms Mugo, poor funding of health research is one of the impediments to development in Africa.

“In order to reduce disease burden, we must support research,” she told delegates attending the ANDI stakeholders’ meeting and high level forum.

The director of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Solomon Mpoke said that overcoming health challenges required more than just research and development activities. He said strategic partnerships with governments and the private sector are also necessary.

Dream

Besides solving the continent’s health challenges, Mr Mudavadi said that ANDI is a step towards attaining the dream of united states of Africa.

“For a long time now, African leaders have talked about a united states of Africa and to many, this idea seems premature, and even impossible. However, I believe that such dreams can only be realized in the long term through initiatives like ANDI,” he added.

Such networks of collaboration, he argued, would provide lessons for the continent on how to tackle common enemies.