Building Africa’s Future: Unleashing Potential in Health R&D and Manufacturing

While diagnostics play a critical role in detecting diseases, managing outbreaks, and guiding public health responses, Africa’s diagnostic manufacturing sector is still in its infancy. For example, only a minority of African nations had national diagnostic capabilities during the recent mpox outbreak, underscoring insufficient preparedness for emerging threats. Closing this void requires more than increased funding—it calls for reinforced policy frameworks, streamlined regulations, technical capacity-building, and infrastructure development to support large-scale diagnostic production. Prioritizing R&D in diagnostics, alongside vaccines and therapeutics, is pivotal for building a resilient health system capable of addressing both current and future emergencies.

Technology transfer, the process of translating scientific advances from research institutions into tangible products by private sector manufacturers, is fundamental to Africa’s health innovation trajectory. Effective technology transfer ensures that local manufacturers gain the know-how needed to produce complex therapeutics and vaccines, narrowing global health inequities. It not only promotes accessibility but accelerates the delivery of medical products to those in need. Though promising collaborations have been established—for instance, between African pharmaceutical firms and international partners—overall investment in technology transfer remains insufficient to unlock Africa’s full innovation potential.

Currently, only a small portion of health R&D investments in Africa targets end-to-end manufacturing—the complete process from research and development to full commercial production. As a result, the continent relies heavily on “fill and finish” operations rather than entire upstream processes, leaving key vulnerabilities in the medical supply chain. Strategic investment to reinforce every stage of the manufacturing chain would reduce costs, improve access to essential medicines, create jobs, stimulate innovation, and strengthen supply chain resilience. For instance, the advancement from simple packaging to large-scale, full-process pharmaceutical production marks a crucial step toward self-sufficiency.

The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated the vital need for robust, Africa-led clinical research and local trials to ensure rapid access to lifesaving interventions suited to the continent’s unique health landscape. Despite bearing a large proportion of the world’s disease burden, Africa garners only a sliver of global clinical research funding—just 1.75% of tracked commitments, and only 2% of worldwide clinical trials are conducted on the continent. This funding gap restricts Africa’s ability to develop context-specific solutions and perpetuates dependence on externally developed health products. Coordinated efforts, like those propelled by the Africa CDC but also donor and private sector engagement, are needed to substantially grow this ecosystem.

Diverse and fragmented regulatory environments delay the availability of life-saving health products across African nations, as approval in one jurisdiction doesn’t guarantee rapid adoption elsewhere. Initiatives such as the African Medicines Agency and continental regulatory harmonization drives aim to address these roadblocks. Initiatives, including targeted grants for regional harmonization, are gradually making progress. However, much greater investment is still needed for faster, more uniform medicine approval processes and improved quality standards continent-wide.

Significant opportunities exist for private sector investment in local diagnostic and pharmaceutical manufacturing, technology transfer, and clinical research infrastructure. Companies and investors can support the development of full-scale manufacturing facilities, bridge regulatory gaps through advisory services, and form partnerships with African institutions to co-develop context-specific medical products. Investing in regulatory harmonization efforts can also accelerate market access and improve medicine quality across borders. Firms engaging in knowledge sharing, workforce development, and R&D infrastructure building can both catalyze Africa’s health sector transformation and secure substantial commercial returns as the continent advances towards self-sufficiency and global leadership in health innovation.

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