Health-industry linkages for local health: reframing policies for African health system strengthening
This paper presents evidence from interviews in 2013–15 and 2017 in East Africa
Abstract
The benefits of local production of pharmaceuticals in Africa for local access to medicines and to effective treatment remain contested. There is scepticism among health systems experts internationally that production of pharmaceuticals in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) can provide competitive prices, quality and reliability of supply. Meanwhile low-income African populations continue to suffer poor access to a broad range of medicines, despite major international funding efforts. A current wave of pharmaceutical industry investment in SSA is associated with active African government promotion of pharmaceuticals as a key sector in industrialization strategies. We present evidence from interviews in 2013–15 and 2017 in East Africa that health system actors perceive these investments in local production as an opportunity to improve access to medicines and supplies.
This is an output of the Development and Economic Growth Research Programme (DEGRP)
Citation
Maureen Mackintosh, Julius Mugwagwa, Geoffrey Banda, Paula Tibandebage, Jires Tunguhole, Samuel Wangwe, Mercy Karimi Njeru, Health-industry linkages for local health: reframing policies for African health system strengthening, Health Policy and Planning, Volume 33, Issue 4, May 2018, Pages 602–610, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czy022