{
  "id": 11707304,
  "title": "Move beyond packaging to produce drug ingredients in Africa – Mahama to pharma industry",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/move-beyond-packaging-to-produce-drug-ingredients-in-africa-mahama-to",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-03T14:42:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/move-beyond-packaging-to-produce-drug-ingredients-in-africa-mahama-to-pharma-industry/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President John Dramani Mahama has called on African pharmaceutical companies and investors to shift their focus from basic packaging and fill-and-finish operations to the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) on the continent. In a speech at the Health Plenary of the Alamein Africa Forum in Egypt, Mahama emphasized that Africa's goal of achieving health sovereignty would not be realized unless the country starts relying on local markets for the critical ingredients needed to manufacture medicines. He urged African governments, industrialists, and investors to form strategic partnerships to develop deeper manufacturing capabilities, including research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical engineering, and API synthesis. Mahama questioned what kind of strategic partnerships are necessary to transition from simply packaging medicines to producing APIs on African soil. He pointed out that this deeper local production would not only bolster the continent's resilience against international supply disruptions but also create opportunities for industrialization and high-value employment. With Africa's rapidly growing population and increasing demand for medicines and chronic disease treatments, there is a significant market for investors who are willing to invest in manufacturing capacity. Mahama appealed to industrial leaders, commercial banks, institutional investors, and sovereign funds to join in the effort of building a stronger African pharmaceutical ecosystem. He emphasized that governments need to collaborate with private capital to provide the necessary financing, infrastructure, and regulatory environment to support large-scale production. Mahama concluded by stating that it is time to build factories, integrate supply chains, fund innovators, and secure the future of African citizens.",
  "summary": "President John Dramani Mahama has challenged African pharmaceutical companies and industrial investors to move beyond basic packaging and fill-and-finish operations towards the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients on the continent.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}