The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has renewed the case for pharmaceutical sovereignty in Africa. The country reported 10,668 confirmed cases and 5,198 deaths up until 3 November, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The centre says the DRC is still reconciling its case and death counts. Frontline teams need reliable…
Tag: Local Manufacturing
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ARV Tender Suffers a Blow as High Court Sets Aside Contracts
The High Court in Pretoria has declared the main contracts in the Health Department’s R15.5 billion ARV tender unconstitutional and invalid. The court set aside two contracts for monthly and three-monthly packs of tenofovir, lamivudine and dolutegravir (TLD), worth a combined R12.63 billion. TLD is the triple combination pill taken by most of South Africa’s HIV-positive patients. According to Treasury,…
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Health Emergency Preparedness in Africa Strengthened
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have agreed on a framework to strengthen health emergency preparedness across Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. The framework emerged from a meeting of Regional Economic Communities in Lusaka, Zambia, held from 14 to 16 October 2026. Regional blocs and partners meet Five regional blocs took part: SADC,…
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Pharmaceutical Policy Must Balance Price With Supply
South Africa’s pharmaceutical policy must protect patients through affordable medicines. Still, it cannot pursue the lowest possible price at the cost of the local industry that keeps those medicines flowing, an industry expert argues. Writing from years in the sector and doctoral research on generic pricing, the author poses a harder question. What happens when the drive for cheap medicines…
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Local Lenacapavir Production: Aspen Exits, Eyes Alimatravir
Aspen is giving up on local lenacapavir production because demand isn’t guaranteed. Instead, the company is supporting Merck’s alimatravir pill as a means of preventing HIV. Aspen Pharmacare has walked away from government plans to produce lenacapavir locally. This is the clearest sign yet that South Africa’s bid to make its own HIV prevention injection faces stiff commercial headwinds. Instead,…
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Black-Owned Pharmaceutical Companies Demand Tender Reform
The Black Pharmaceutical Industry Association (BPIA) has now joined the increasing criticism directed at the Department of Health. The advocacy group comprises more than 22 black-owned businesses, including manufacturers, wholesalers, and pharmacies. This highlights the important and growing role that Black-owned pharmaceutical companies play in the healthcare sector. It cautions that local suppliers are being severely restricted due to the…
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Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Needs Urgent Support
An industry group has warned that South Africa’s emphasis on securing the lowest possible prices for medicine is excluding local pharmaceutical companies from important state contracts. This issue highlights the challenges faced by local pharmaceutical manufacturing. In particular, they struggle to remain competitive in the market. Pharmaceuticals Made in South Africa (Pharmisa) told Parliament that the Health Department’s procurement policies…
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Imported Medicines Threaten SA’s Local Pharmaceutical Industry
South Africa’s local pharmaceutical manufacturers have warned that the Department of Health’s growing reliance on imported medicines could place jobs, industrial capacity, and the country’s security of medicine supply at risk. The warning follows analysis by Pharmaceuticals Made in SA (Pharmisa). Their findings show that importers have steadily increased their share of two of the Department of Health’s biggest medicine…
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Lenacapavir HIV Prevention Injection: SA Rollout Faces Heat
South Africa’s long-acting HIV prevention programme has entered a new phase. President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi led an official rollout event in Secunda, Mpumalanga, on 5 June 2026. The twice-yearly injection of lenacapavir prevents HIV infection when used as prescribed. Health officials position the product as a major addition to the country’s prevention toolkit. This is alongside…
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HIV Prevention in SA Needs Local Lenacapavir Manufacturing
South Africa stands at a pivotal moment in its long battle against HIV. While the country has made remarkable strides since the mass rollout of antiretrovirals, boosting rural life expectancy by over 10 years, a new medical innovation could accelerate progress even further. Experts warn that unless stakeholders prioritise local manufacturing, the drug’s full potential for HIV prevention may remain…
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TB Epidemic Challenges and Local Manufacturing Needs
The South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) has issued an urgent call for the establishment of secure medical supply chains and the enhancement of local manufacturing capacity. They warn that medicine stockouts and diagnostic delays are costing lives and undermining efforts to end the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic. This critical demand was made during the official relaunch of the South African…