Africa is grappling with a severe medical supply crisis, with fragmented procurement systems and high costs leading to stock shortages and the spread of counterfeit drugs. However, a new wave of alliances — including nonprofits, social enterprises, and logistics firms — is emerging to bridge these gaps.
At a recent health summit in Nairobi, experts identified inefficient procurement structures as a key driver, inflating the cost of medicines and leaving health care systems vulnerable.
“Access to lifesaving health care and medicine is not just a challenge to discuss, but it is a problem to solve,” said Emmanuel Akpakwu, CEO of Axmed, an organization helping low- and middle-income countries access affordable, high-quality medicines. “Patients struggle to gain access to medicines and healthcare not because medicines do not exist or the solutions are unknown, but because our systems are fragmented.”
About the author
David Njagi
David Njagi is a Kenya-based Devex Contributing Reporter with over 12 years’ experience in the field of journalism. He graduated from the Technical University of Kenya with a diploma in journalism and public relations. He has reported for local and international media outlets, such as the BBC Future Planet, Reuters AlertNet, allAfrica.com, Inter Press Service, Science and Development Network, Mongabay Reporting Network, and Women’s Media Center.
