Local pharma production can create jobs, strengthen Africa’s health security – Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has said the development of local pharmaceutical and health-product manufacturing can help Africa tackle unemployment among skilled young people while strengthening the continent’s capacity to respond to future health emergencies.

According to President Mahama, Africa faces what he described as a “structural paradox” because the continent continues to experience shortages of health workers even as significant numbers of trained healthcare professionals and science graduates remain unemployed.

The President further argued that domestic production would improve health security by reducing the continent’s dependence on overseas suppliers during global emergencies.