Different medicines. Imports make medicines expensive and supply unreliable, dependent on global supply chains.Africa carries a heavy health burden. It accounts for 25% of the global disease burden despite having only 18% of the global population. The situation reflects deep-rooted challenges in healthcare access, infrastructure, and socioeconomic conditions. Yet the continent produces only 3% of global medicines. It imports over 70% of its medicines. This makes medicine expensive and supply unreliable, dependent on global supply chains. The COVID-19 pandemic starkly exposed this vulnerability. Major medicines exporting countries such as China and India imposed export restrictions to prioritise domestic needs. This left…