COMESA is making significant strides in transforming the region’s pharmaceutical landscape through a strategic initiative that promises to reshape healthcare access across the 21-member bloc.
From 3 to 4 June 2025, COMESA convened a two-day Competence Building and Consultative Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, for creating a sustainable institutional framework for pharmaceutical sector development. This was within the framework of the regional pharmaceutical project that the COMESA Secretariat is implementing with support from the African Development Bank through the African Development Fund.
This initiative goes beyond traditional trade cooperation, recognising that robust healthcare systems and pharmaceutical self-sufficiency are fundamental pillars of regional integration and sustainable development.
Director of Industry and Agriculture at COMESA Secretariat Mrs Providence Mavubi said the challenges faced in the pharmaceutical sector are both urgent and complex as such the region needed a coordinated, strategic approach that leverages the collective strengths while addressing the shared challenges.
She described the pharmaceutical project as necessary to strengthen regulatory frameworks and ensure compliance with international standards, support implementation of robust quality control measures to guarantee the safety and efficacy of the products.
”Your expertise, insights and commitment will be instrumental in shaping a framework that is both practical and transformative,” Mrs Mavubi said to the delegates drawn from health ministries and institutions.
In close collaboration with AUDA NEPAD and with participation of key stakeholders including WHO AFRO, USP, Vizuri and the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network, this initiative aligns with continental frameworks like Agenda 2063, the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa and the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization programme.
COMESA is positioning itself as a catalyst for pharmaceutical transformation that will ultimately benefit millions of citizens across Member States.