Africa Pharma Conference 2019

Africa Pharma Conference 2019 is organized by DFS Africa, New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) / Agence du Nouveau partenariat pour le developpement de l'Afrique, African Union Commission (AUC) and will be held from Jun 04 - 05, 2019 at Hyatt Regency Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.

Expected Delegates:
Participants and Delegates to the Conference Will Include;
• Heads of State
• Senior Government Officials Such as Line Ministers; (Health, Industry, Trade, Finance Etc);
• Regional Economic Communities (Recs) I.e Ecowas, Sadc, Comesa, Amu, Eac, Eccas,
• Private Sector – Pharmaceutical Trade Association (E.g. Fapma, Ifpma) and Companies, Medical Device and Diagnostics Manufacturers; Investment and Finance Institutions; Logistics Firms; Etc Usp / Usaid
• Global Public Health Institutions (Global Fund, Pepfar, Unitaid, Mpp Etc)
• National Medicines Regulatory. Authorities,
• United Nations Agencies;
• (African) Academic and Research Institutions;
• Civil Society;
• Donors and Development Partners;
• Regional and International Finance Institutions

Theme: Catalysing local production for improved access to Pharmaceuticals and health commodities

Description:
The Africa Pharma Conference seeks to contribute to efforts to boost local production of essential medicines. The conference will involve all relevant continental institutions, development partners, UN agencies, Member States and the private sector.

The Africa Pharma Conference 2019 will focus on access to medicines and health commodities. The series of events and sessions will highlight the progress, achievements, and challenges faced by African governments in developing the Pharmaceutical sector and discuss best practises to catalyse local production. DFS Africa will also be running a Deal Room event over 2 days in parallel with the conference. The Deal Room provides opportunities for pre-qualified businesses / project owners to meet with Africa focused institutional investors looking to invest in Pharma and Access to Medicines.

Topics:
• Policy coherence (across sectors),
• Health Sector Imperatives such as Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Maternal and Child Health,
• African Medicines Agency (AMA) and Regulation,
• The role of RECs in stimulating production and expanding access,
• How to stimulate meaningful Joint Ventures thereby encouraging (Research & Development, financing, and technology) transfer where both party wins
• Market Integration,
• Volume guarantees and Incentives,
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP),
• Medical Devices and allied products,
• Leveraging technology and artificial intelligence,
• Pharmaceutical Financing Strategy,
• Catalyzing Research and Development (R&D),
• Strengthening Market Intelligence and Evidence Base,
• Supply Chain Management System (SCMS),
• Business facilitation and Investment Promotion,
• TRIPS Flexibilities,
• Africa CDC and Humanitarian context
• Leveraging the African Diaspora,
• South-South and Triangular Cooperation,
• Infrastructure and multi-sectoral factors, including human resources development;

Objectives:
TThe overall aim of the conference is to facilitate concrete actions that will improve universal access to quality assured affordable essential medicines and catalyze local production in Africa. 

The conference will;
• Harness high-level political commitment to support workable solutions;
• Examine the evidence as it relates to constraints and how to overcome them and propose a number of concrete steps that can be implemented by governments to develop local production;
• Consider a broad range of related issues including those of harmonization of regulatory protocols, research and development, production, quality control, distribution, testing and diagnosis and health care capacity development, as well as incentives that can boost local production on the African continent such as the African Medicines Agency and other health systems initiatives;
• Discuss actionable ways to achieve improved access to finance for African pharmaceutical companies to attain a more robust and optimised capacity;
• Facilitate and forge business to business partnerships between Africa and the rest of world that translates to Market expansion, Technology transfer and capacity development to meet acceptable global standards;
• Articulate a set of recommended actions;

The outcomes of the Conference will be presented to the African Union Organs, such as the Assembly of Heads of State and Government for consideration.