Egypt has agreed with the African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) programme to develop a long-term cooperation framework to expand local production of medicines, vaccines and medical technologies across Africa and identify priority healthcare projects for financing and implementation.

The agreement was discussed during a meeting between Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar and AUDA-NEPAD Chief Executive Nardos Bekele-Thomas on the sidelines of the World Health Summit in Berlin, according to Egypt’s Health Ministry.

The proposed framework would identify priority initiatives, focal points and implementation and follow-up mechanisms, with a focus on strengthening local production and improving access to essential medicines, vaccines and medical technologies across the continent.

Discussions covered pharmaceutical regulation, drug and vaccine manufacturing, technology transfer and the development of more resilient medical supply chains to reduce Africa’s dependence on external sources.