African ministers of health, the Chinese Minister of Health and others have examined ways in which China can be instrumental in building capacity for the local production of health commodities in Africa and in strengthening regulatory capacities. The participants met at the 2018 High-Level Meeting on China–Africa Health Cooperation, held on 16 and 17 August in Beijing, China.

Africa is hugely dependent on imported medicines and other health technologies. It is estimated that 70% of the pharmaceutical and medical products market is served by imports. Demand for health commodities is growing rapidly and cannot be met with Africa’s existing manufacturing capacity and sources of supply.

During the event, the Chinese participants learned about African best practices, including the progress made in expanding HIV treatment, responding to the HIV epidemic in rural areas and reducing new HIV infections among children.

“We are creating the enabling environments for investments in Nigeria and closing the gap in supply shortages for essential commodities. Now is the time to stimulate access and increase local production of essential medicines and health technologies in line with our goal of achieving universal health coverage,” said Isaac Adewole, the Nigerian Minister of Health.

The participants signed a six-point document, the China–Africa health cooperation 2018 Beijing initiative, which focuses on building a strong public health surveillance and response system in Africa and supporting the response to public health emergencies. The plan also includes a special focus on strengthening cooperation on HIV prevention, in particularly among young people and key populations.