Non-communicable diseases will be Africa’s top killer by 2030, report warns

The article highlights the challenge posed by the rise of non-communicable diseases in Africa, against a backdrop of persistent gaps in access to medicines across the continent that leave populations underserved across a range of disease areas.

The article notes actions that the eight generic medicine manufacturers assessed in the report are taking to expand access to their products in African markets, such as strengthening supply resilience and adopting new partnership models to build local manufacturing capabilities.

It notes that conditions are gradually becoming more favourable for manufacturers, with growing momentum towards regulatory harmonisation, regional trade integration and better-coordinated procurement.

However, despite company efforts, structural barriers identified in the report, such as fragmented procurement, uneven financing and disparate regulatory systems continue to pose challenges for the industry in addressing access gaps.

The article captures a key takeaway from the report: that while industry efforts are encouraging,  manufacturers cannot address the issue of rising disease burden and access gaps alone.