(3 Minutes Read)
At an emergency African Union (AU) summit convened to address the escalating cholera crisis across the continent, Angolan President Joao Lourenço delivered a powerful appeal for African nations to prioritize local pharmaceutical manufacturing.
His message was clear: Africa’s heavy dependence on external imports is undermining its capacity to respond to public health emergencies and compromising its health sovereignty.”Sole reliance on external imports limits our response capacity and compromises our health sovereignty,” President Lourenço asserted, underscoring the urgent need for the continent to invest in the production of African-made vaccines and medicines.
The Angolan leader framed local pharmaceutical manufacturing not only as a health imperative but also as an economic opportunity. He described local production as “a strategic priority” that could catalyze “economic diversification and growth across the continent.”
The summit was convened as cholera continues to sweep through many African nations, with Angola among the hardest hit. Since the beginning of 2025, Angola alone has reported 24,536 cases and 718 deaths from the disease as of June 2, highlighting the scale and urgency of the crisis.
President Lourenço did not shy away from outlining the gravity of the situation. He described cholera as “a major obstacle to economic, social, and human development” in Africa, warning that without decisive and coordinated action, the continent’s broader developmental goals could be severely derailed.
In his address, Lourenço presented a compelling case for immediate and integrated action against cholera and similar public health threats:
- Public Health and Development: Cholera undermines social stability and economic progress. Its recurring outbreaks strain already fragile healthcare systems, affect productivity, and deepen cycles of poverty and inequality.
- Need for a Strategic Approach: According to Lourenço, the fight against cholera must be waged through “a strategic, integrated, and lasting approach” that tackles the root causes—such as inadequate sanitation, poor access to clean water, and weak healthcare infrastructure—while also preparing for future outbreaks.
- Rapid and Coordinated Responses: The president emphasised the importance of “rapid, integrated, and coordinated responses” to cholera outbreaks, calling on AU member states to strengthen regional cooperation and early warning systems.
- Local Production Capacity: Lourenço’s most urgent recommendation was to accelerate the development of Africa’s own pharmaceutical and vaccine industries. By doing so, he argued, African nations would be better equipped to respond swiftly to outbreaks, reducing their dependence on slow and often unequal global supply chains.
The COVID-19 pandemic served as a global wake-up call, revealing the vulnerabilities of countries without strong domestic health manufacturing sectors. Africa, which faced severe delays in accessing vaccines and medical supplies, has since made efforts to develop local production capabilities. However, as the cholera crisis reveals, progress remains uneven and slow.
President Lourenço’s call to action at the AU summit adds to growing continental momentum for health self-sufficiency. He urged fellow leaders to treat investment in local health infrastructure not as a luxury, but as a necessity for survival, sovereignty, and sustainable development.
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Africa stands at a crossroads. As it grapples with recurring public health emergencies, leaders like President Joao Lourenço are pushing for a bold shift toward health autonomy. His speech at the AU emergency summit serves as a clarion call: Africa must act now to build the capacity to protect its people today and in the future. Failure to do so risks not only continued health crises but also the loss of economic and human potential across the continent.
