Hot SourceThe 2025 African Healthcare Manufacturing Trade Exhibition and Conference (AHMTEC) held 7 – 9 October in Accra, Ghana, ended with significant momentum and concrete commitments to strengthen Africa’s healthcare manufacturing ecosystem.
The event convened 264 participants representing 60 manufacturers and 110 organisations, with coverage by 24 media outlets. In its second year, AHMTEC reconfirmed its unique mandate: convening manufacturers to drive industry-led solutions toward continental self-reliance.
DEFINING FEATURES OF SUCCESS
• Host Country Leadership. The Government of Ghana anchored the opening and closing ceremonies with commitments to support and invest in regional manufacturing. Ghanaian manufacturers participated and contributed to the event’s facility site visits.
• AMMINA Platform Launch. Led by the Gates Foundation and Africa CDC (with Health 4 Development support), the African Manufacturing Market Intelligence and Network Analysis (AMMINA) provides centralised data from 18 countries, 700 manufacturers, and 2,570 products to inform decisions and investment.
• African Agency Engagement. Strong participation by the African Medicines Agency (AMA), Africa CDC and AUDA- NEPAD reinforced institutional support for the effective, quality assured industrialization of Africa’s healthcare manufacturing industry. AHMTEC commends their continued leadership.
• WiHMA Network Momentum. The Women in Healthcare Manufacturing Africa (WiHMA) network, launched at AHMTEC 2024, gained momentum under the patronage of Dr. Stella Okoli, Founder of Emzor, Nigeria. The network saw increased membership and commitment to women’s leadership in manufacturing and allied industries.
• Unitaid Investment Dialogue. First industry engagement on Unitaid’s US$ 50 million Regional Manufacturing for Equitable Access in Africa (RMEA) initiative for increase product capacity and market access for HIV/AIDS, malaria, and maternal healthcare products (treatment and diagnostics).
HIGHLIGHTED COMMITMENTS: THE AHMTEC 2025 ACCRA DECLARATION
The commitments, collectively referred to as the Accra Declaration, solidify a path forward to increase investment in production of quality-assured products and build capacity. Highlights include commitments from manufacturers:
• Market Access: Call on all procuring stakeholders to prioritise market access and increase demand for locally produced healthcare products.
• Regulatory Harmonisation: Advocate for unified policies across national and regional frameworks, leveraging the various ongoing initiatives and increasing African manufacturers’ participation for continent-wide market entry.
• Investment Coordination: Establish an urgent Healthcare Manufacturing Funders Forum to drive collaboration, deploy innovative financing, and align investment with African priorities.
ANNOUNCING AHMTEC 2026: ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
Date: 6 – 8 October 2026
The Accra Declaration establishes a framework for accountability. AHMTEC 2026 will serve as the forum to evaluate measurable progress, deepen industry collaboration, and accelerate Africa’s path to manufacturing self-reliance.
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