WHO Chief Drops BOMBSHELL on Africa's Health Future: Are We Facing a Crisis? Discover the Shocking Truth!

Your Excellency Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb,

Honourable Ministers, distinguished guests, dear colleagues and friends,

Good morning from Geneva, and I’m very sorry that I can’t be with you in person. I extend my sincere gratitude to His Excellency President Abdelmadjid Tebboune for hosting this important Ministerial Conference.

Algeria is making headlines for its commitment to local production, a significant achievement underscored by the fact that it now produces 82% of its needs locally—representing the highest percentage in Africa. With over 230 manufacturers, Algeria stands as a model for both African nations and the global community. This Ministerial Conference offers a vital platform for other countries to learn from Algeria's experience and success in local production.

The expansion of local and regional production is crucial for enhancing health security across the continent. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted severe inequities in access to vaccines and health products, a situation exacerbated by disease outbreaks such as mpox, Ebola, and Marburg virus disease, not to mention the persistent challenges posed by diseases like malaria and tuberculosis.

Current global health disruptions have made national and regional production initiatives more essential than ever. They are key to not only improving epidemic and pandemic preparedness but also advancing towards universal health coverage while tackling threats like antimicrobial resistance. The World Health Organization's (WHO) recently adopted Pandemic Agreement includes provisions for sustainable and geographically diversified local production, along with technology and knowledge transfer.

As part of this ongoing effort, WHO Member States are currently negotiating the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system—also known as the PABS Annex—to ensure equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics, and other medical products in future pandemics. Local production will play a pivotal role in achieving this vision.

WHO's initiatives to support local production include the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme, launched in 2021. This program is sharing technology from its base in South Africa with a network of 15 partner countries globally. Additionally, WHO established the Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Initiative in 2023, which includes a Global Training Hub in the Republic of Korea and has already trained over 7,000 participants worldwide.

Another important area of focus is assessing and strengthening national regulatory authorities. Utilizing the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool, WHO is addressing nine key regulatory functions. Currently, nine national regulators in Africa have reached Maturity level 3, and WHO is actively supporting additional countries, including Algeria, in building their regulatory and ethics capacities.

The operationalization of the African Medicines Agency marks a significant advancement for the continent's healthcare landscape, enhancing continental capacity. In the past year, the WHO Regional Committee for Africa adopted a strategic framework aimed at strengthening local production over the next decade, with several African countries aligning with WHO and international standards for regulatory maturity.

However, substantial challenges remain. Low and middle-income countries continue to face barriers in access and supply chains. These issues are compounded by insufficient data that hampers accurate demand forecasting, along with challenges in accessing affordable financing and limited research and development capacities.

WHO is committed to helping Member States overcome these obstacles, focusing on areas such as regulation, financing, technology transfer, research and development, and digitalization. The right to health fundamentally translates into the right to access the products necessary for promoting and protecting health.

As we gather at this Ministerial Conference, it's crucial to acknowledge the progress made while recognizing the work that lies ahead. The collaborative efforts in local production are not just a necessity; they represent a fundamental shift toward a more equitable health landscape for all.

Thank you all for your commitment to realizing that right.

Thank you.