Local Production Crucial to Shield East Africa from Health Supply Disruptions: Ethiopia’s Health Minister
Addis Ababa, August 21, 2026 (FMC) — Strengthening local pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing is crucial to reducing East Africa’s vulnerability to external health supply disruptions, Ethiopia’s Health Minister Dr. Mekdes Daba said.
The Minister made the remark during the opening of the 13th East Africa Healthcare Federation Conference and International Health Exhibition in Addis Ababa, held under the theme “Resilience: Building the East African Health Economy.”
Dr. Mekdes said health security, financing, supply chains, technology, climate change and the movement of health workers transcend national borders and require joint solutions among countries in the region.
She said Ethiopia is committed to strengthening local pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing as well as research and development to reduce vulnerability to external supply disruptions, drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Minister also called for greater investment in specialized healthcare, including cardiac care, oncology, neurosurgery, child healthcare and complex surgeries.
She said stronger regional links could help expand healthcare services and facilitate cross-border referrals.
Ethiopia is working to create a more predictable environment for healthcare investment while strengthening regulation and patient protection, Dr. Mekdes said.
She noted that the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority has reached WHO Level 3 maturity and called for stronger regulatory capacity across East Africa.
The Minister said Ethiopia has expanded primary healthcare, health infrastructure and its health workforce, while skilled birth attendance has risen to more than 64 percent, according to the latest Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey.
She also highlighted the expansion of digital health and telehealth and linked health with climate, food and nutrition through a One Health approach, citing the Green Legacy Initiative and Seqota Declaration as examples of Ethiopia’s integrated development efforts.
The Ministry’s Master Facility Registry has recorded more than 30,000 private health facilities, she said, noting that this provides a basis for investment and improved health-service planning.
Dr. Mekdes stressed that the government views healthcare as an investment in people and the economy.
President of the East Africa Healthcare Federation and Ethiopian Healthcare Federation, Dr. Markos Feleke Haile, said the conference should translate regional dialogue into concrete action.
He announced a planned private-sector demand aggregation and pooled procurement mechanism, starting in Ethiopia, to reduce procurement costs and improve the availability, quality and security of medicines and medical supplies.
Dr. Markos also invited the Africa Healthcare Federation to consider establishing its headquarters in Addis Ababa, citing the city’s role as a major continental diplomatic and institutional hub.
The three-day conference, running from August 21 to 23, brings together more than 2,000 delegates from more than 20 countries to discuss regional cooperation, healthcare investment, local manufacturing, health financing, technology and regional integration.