Africa’s growing demand for medicines presents a major opportunity for generic drug manufacturers to expand access to essential treatments, even as the continent continues to face serious supply and affordability challenges, a new report says.

The Access to Medicine Foundation says pharmaceutical companies are increasingly responding to changing health needs by strengthening supply chains, expanding their range of medicines and investing in local production.

The report examined the work of eight multinational and regional generic medicine manufacturers — Aspen Pharmacare, Cipla, Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries, EVA Pharma, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Sothema, Universal Corporation and Viatris.

It found that the companies are adopting different approaches to meet rising demand while trying to overcome challenges that have historically limited access to medicines across African markets.

“Africa’s healthcare needs are evolving, and manufacturers across the ecosystem will play an important role in determining whether medicine supply evolves alongside them,” said Claudia Martínez, Director of Research at the Access to Medicine Foundation.

Martínez said there were signs of progress, particularly in local manufacturing and new partnership models, but warned that pharmaceutical companies could not address the continent’s medicine challenges on their own.

“Our research shows encouraging progress – from growing local manufacturing to the emergence of new partnership models – but also highlights that companies cannot succeed in isolation,” she said.

She said coordinated efforts would be needed to make sure medicines reach patients consistently and in sufficient quantities.

The report comes as African countries deal with a changing disease burden. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, are becoming increasingly common, while infectious diseases and maternal health conditions continue to place pressure on health systems.

Access to essential medicines remains a major concern.

The report estimates that only one in every two people living with type 1 diabetes in Africa has reliable access to insulin. Fragmented procurement systems have also affected the availability of medicines for cardiovascular diseases in several countries.

The challenge could grow in the coming years, with NCDs expected to become the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa within the next five years.

Generic manufacturers already play a significant role in supplying affordable medicines globally, accounting for about 80 per cent of medicines by volume.

The foundation identifies three major areas where companies are trying to respond to Africa’s unmet needs.

One is improving the reliability of medicine supplies. Some manufacturers are investing in producing active pharmaceutical ingredients locally, while others are looking for alternative suppliers where local production is not yet possible.

Companies are also changing their medicine portfolios to respond to Africa’s shifting disease patterns.

Several manufacturers are expanding their focus to conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease while continuing to supply medicines for infectious diseases and maternal health, where access problems remain widespread.

Another growing area is partnerships aimed at building pharmaceutical capacity within Africa.

The report says traditional market-access and distribution agreements remain important, but companies are increasingly involved in arrangements covering technology transfer, regulatory support and localised production.

Such partnerships could help African manufacturers acquire technical expertise and build stronger, more sustainable supply chains.

However, the foundation says several structural challenges continue to discourage investment.

African pharmaceutical markets remain fragmented, while procurement systems can be inconsistent and regulatory requirements differ from one country to another. Uncertainty about demand also makes it harder for manufacturers to plan production and invest in new capacity.

The challenges can be particularly difficult for emerging regional manufacturers that need reliable market information before committing resources to expanding their operations.

The foundation says governments and other stakeholders must therefore create a more supportive environment for pharmaceutical investment.

It recommends closer cooperation between governments, manufacturers, regulators, procurement agencies, development finance institutions and global health organisations.

The report also calls for greater regulatory harmonisation, stronger regional trade and increased investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

These measures could help countries build stronger local pharmaceutical industries and reduce dependence on medicine supplies from outside Africa.

The foundation, however, cautions that increasing production on its own will not solve the continent’s medicine access problems.

It says predictable procurement, better coordination and stronger regulatory systems will be essential to encourage long-term investment and ensure affordable essential medicines reach communities that need them most.