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Join PATH at the Africa Health ExCon 2024

May 22, 2024 by Douglas Waudo

PATH is excited to participate in the Africa Health ExCon from June 3 to June 6, 2024 at the Egypt International Exhibition Center in Cairo, Egypt.

This pivotal event is aimed at highlighting Africa's investment potential to ensure equitable access of health technology in Africa.

In 2024, the African Union is set to unveil the Special Project on Agenda 2063, as the second decade of the framework’s implementation. The African Union Member States observed that the conditions for implementation of the first decade of Agenda 2063 had not been favorable for the optimal achievement of the objectives set under the various programmes.

The three-day Public Health Track will carry the theme of “Africa’s journey to the new public health order: Bridging the gap”, encompassing 12 sessions focused on the progress, lessons learnt and the next steps of 4 thematic areas, namely:

  1. African Union’s Vision 2063
  2. Sustainable Development Goals 2030
  3. The New Public Health Order
  4. Health security

The PATH delegation alongside global delegates, will be sharing valuable insights from our journey and experience at PATH in fostering sustainable investment in health systems, innovation, self-reliance, local ownership and leadership in the drug and vaccine research and development and manufacturing space.

The PATH Africa Health ExCon 2024 delegation is available for media interviews, speaking engagements, and panel discussions. Send us an email at media@path.org.

Below are more details about PATH sessions, events, and engagements at the conference:

Regulatory: Advancements made by African Medicines Agency (AMA)

Moderator: Johnpaul Omollo – PATH
Keynote speakers: Amb Samaté Cessouma – African Union Commission
Panelists: Prof Amani El Sherif - African Union; Dr Janet Byaruhanga – AUDA-NEPAD; Dr Houda Langer – WHO; Dr Mary Gamal - Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement; Dr Mohamed Hassany – Ministry of Health, Egypt
Date: June 5, 2024
Time: 09:00 am - 10:30 pm UTC+02:00
Venue: Exhibition Hall 2, Meeting Room E

Africa’s pharmaceutical industry has undergone tremendous growth in all sectors over the previous years. The African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty was adopted in 2019, aiming to enhance the regulation of medical products in Africa to ensure access to quality, safe, and effective health care across the continent.

Only 27 out of 55 African countries have ratified AMA and deposited their ratification instruments since 2019. This slow process delays the intention to harmonize and strengthen regulatory systems at a continental level.

This session will feature accomplished leaders and experts who are driving equitable and ethical regulatory policies in drug and vaccine manufacturing, supporting the establishment of AMA. Together, participants will explore the progress of AMA ratification, expected challenges, and proposed solutions to fast track establishment of AMA.

Participants will also discuss the challenges and lessons learnt from AU Model Law domestication and implementation, and the progress made in combating counterfeit medicines in the continent.

Fostering African-led Innovation: Advancing local production in vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics

Moderator: Prof Amani El Sherif – African Union
Panelists: H.E. Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar - Minister of Health, Egypt; Dr Abebe Genetu – Platform for Harmonized Africa Health Manufacturing; Dr. Nhlanhla Msomi – AfricaBio; Dr Janet Byaruhanga – AUDA-NEPAD; Johnpaul Omollo – PATH; Michael Lusiola – BioVax; Dr Olfat Ghorab – ACDIMA; Stavros Nicoloau - Aspen Pharma Group
Date: June 5, 2024
Time: 10:30 am – 12:00pm UTC+02:00
Venue: Exhibition Hall 2, Meeting Room E

The expansion of Africa’s local pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity is one of the five pillars of the African Unions New Public Health Order. The Platform for Harmonized Africa Health Manufacturing (PHAHM) will bring together key stakeholders in pursuit of health on the continent to:

  1. Advocate for the establishment of a pooled procurement mechanism for health product technologies that secure a healthy market for the African manufacturing sector.
  2. Establish the mechanisms to support African manufacturers with business case development
  3. Engage in high-level advocacy within African Union Member States, bringing together manufacturers, key partners, and other stakeholders in support of the emerging manufacturing industry
  4. Ensure the political commitments made to increase demand for African-produced health commodities will achieve the targets agreed upon by the African Union.

This session will bring together industry stakeholders to discuss PHAHM, preferential and pooled procurement policy; Africa manufacturing principles - end-to-end product development for Africa, Johannesburg Process, medical countermeasures, regulations considerations, and local production and procurement.