Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Aden Duale, urged African nations to urgently invest in regulatory harmonization and local manufacturing of medical products.
Speaking at the 7th Biennial Scientific Conference on Medical Products Regulation in Africa (SCoMRA VII) in Mombasa, CS Duale stressed that the continent’s reliance on imports poses a critical threat to public health and future health security.
Representing President William Ruto, CS Duale highlighted the stark reality facing the continent: “Africa still imports more than 90 per cent of its medicines.” He declared that achieving health sovereignty is impossible without a fundamental shift toward self-reliance.
“Strengthening regulatory systems and investing in manufacturing capacity are essential if we are to achieve health sovereignty,” he asserted.
The CS showcased Kenya’s proactive measures to combat the menace of substandard and falsified commodities. The nation is rolling out end-to-end digital systems for the procurement, quality surveillance, and track-and-trace of all medical products.
“By ensuring every shipment is verifiable from production to patient, we protect citizens, inspire investor confidence, and guarantee value for public resources,” Duale explained. He emphasized that digital innovation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms are crucial components of the nation’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), driving transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the health supply chain.”
CS Duale concluded by imploring African leaders to utilize existing continental platforms, specifically the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the African Medicines Agency (AMA). These frameworks, he argued, are vital tools for building a harmonized, investable market that can guarantee quality-assured health products.
“Through partnership, performance, safety, and sustainability, we can unlock Africa’s full health potential and deliver real progress for our people,” CS Duale stated, laying out the roadmap for a healthier and more secure future for the continent.
