Unitaid announces two new flagship investments to boost regional manufacturing of diagnostics and medicines in Africa

Geneva – Unitaid is making a foundational investment of nearly US$ 50 million in two flagship programs aimed at strengthening the ability of countries in Africa to produce their own medical tests and treatments. The investment is part of Unitaid’s broader commitment to building regional manufacturing capacity across Africa and improving access to quality-assured health products for global health priorities such as HIV, malaria and maternal health, and is expected to lay the groundwork for future growth and development.

Africa is home to nearly 1.5 billion people and carries one-quarter of the global disease burden yet continues to rely heavily on imported health products. More than 95 percent of the continent’s active pharmaceutical ingredients and 70% of its medicines are sourced from abroad. This dependence leaves countries vulnerable to supply chain disruptions, delays, and inflated costs.

Unitaid’s new investment will help change that, starting with selected products from Unitaid’s malaria, maternal health and HIV portfolios. Working with African partners, one program will focus on manufacturing high-quality diagnostic tests, while the other will focus on producing essential medicines – in both cases strengthening regional capacity from the raw materials to the finished products. Together, they will create the right conditions for these industries to sustain themselves, boost pandemic preparedness, and promote more climate-friendly production. Unitaid will also work with partners to attract additional investment and blended financing to maximize impact.

“A diagnostic is often the first step to saving a life. Without it, people cannot get the treatment they need. And without the right medicines, even the best diagnosis leads nowhere,” said Dr. Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid. “By investing in regional production of both diagnostics and treatments, we are putting African manufacturers, institutions and communities at the center of long-term solutions. Regional manufacturing is key to advancing equitable access and ensuring countries can meet their own health needs without relying on distant suppliers.”

The first program, Manufacturing to Accelerate Diagnostic Excellence (MADE), led by PATH in collaboration with a consortium of partners, will receive US$11 million to help the most promising African companies develop high-quality diagnostic tests and scale up production so they can enter regional and global markets. This includes improving access to raw materials and helping manufacturers produce more of the input materials they need themselves, so they can control a greater share of their supply chains and the associated costs.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and recent shifts in global health funding underscore the urgency of coordinating with Africa’s existing public and private sector efforts to reduce dependency on imported health products,” said Nikolaj Gilbert, PATH President and CEO. “MADE will leverage PATH’s lab-to-market capabilities and the expertise of regional partners to support manufacturing of critical diagnostics on the continent.”

The second program, Medicines Supply Resilience (MedSuRe) Africa, led by USP and its consortium partners, will receive US$35.5 million from Unitaid to boost the availability of essential medicines, including treatments for HIV, malaria, and postpartum hemorrhage. The program will work with African manufacturers to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients - the building blocks of medicines - as well as finished pharmaceutical products. It will also support the production of calibrated drapes, simple but highly effective tools for measuring blood loss during childbirth and helping to prevent deaths from postpartum hemorrhage. To ensure products meet the highest quality and regulatory standards, the program will build regional capacity for Clinical Research Organizations to conduct the necessary bioequivalence testing. As part of this package, the Medicines Patent Pool will also receive US$1.5 million for complementary work.

“Creating resiliency and reducing vulnerabilities in the supply chain is critical to improve patient access and promote global health security,” said Ronald T. Piervincenzi, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of USP. “We are proud to partner with Unitaid on this effort, building on USP’s decades-long legacy of strengthening pharmaceutical production and supply in Africa.”

From the outset, both programs will be built on strong partnerships – not only with governments and regional bodies across West, East, and Southern Africa, but also with leading continental and global health institutions. This includes working hand-in-hand with the Africa CDC, the African Medicines Agency, and AUDA-NEPAD to shape policy and regulation; engaging with regional economic communities to align priorities; and collaborating with the WHO, the EU, Gates Foundation, Development Finance Institutions, multilateral and bilateral funders, and civil society to ensure solutions are community-driven, meet international standards, and are supported by complementary investments.

These projects reflect a growing momentum across Africa to build stronger, more self-sufficient health systems by expanding regional manufacturing capacity and unlocking regional innovation. With African expertise and leadership already driving progress, these investments represent a practical step toward a future where access to essential health tools is faster, fairer, and closer to home.

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Funding and donor acknowledgement

This program is funded through specified contributions from the European Commission as part of the SafeBirth Africa project, the Gates Foundation, and the Republic of Korea, with additional support from Unitaid’s core donors - Brazil, Chile, France, Japan, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

About Unitaid

Unitaid saves lives by making new health products affordable and available in low- and middle-income countries. Collaborating with partners, Unitaid identifies innovative treatments, tackles market barriers, and quickly delivers solutions to those in need. Since 2006, Unitaid has unlocked over 100 health products, addressing HIV, TB, malaria, women’s and children’s health, and pandemic preparedness. Every year, these products benefit more than 300 million people. Unitaid is a hosted partnership of the World Health Organization.

About USP

USP is an independent scientific organization that collaborates with the world's top experts in health and science to develop quality resources and standards for medicines, dietary supplements, and food ingredients. Through our resources, standards, advocacy and education, USP helps increase the availability of quality medicines, supplements and foods for billions of people worldwide.

About PATH

PATH is a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity. With more than 40 years of experience forging multisector partnerships, and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges. Learn more at www.path.org.

Media contacts

Unitaid: Kyle Wilkinson, Communications Officer, Unitaid, +41 79 445 17 45, wilkinsonk@unitaid.who.int

USP: mediarelations@usp.org

PATH: Lauren Grella, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, +1-206-285-3500, media@path.org

Reposted from the Unitaid website.