The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will hold the seminar "A Turning Point for Africa's Health Care Market: The Kenya-Japan Healthcare Co-creation Ecosystem Opened Up by Regulatory Harmonization and Local Manufacturing" on Saturday, October 10, 2026, in a hybrid format at the JICA Ichigaya Building and online.
In Africa, against the background of the establishment of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) and progress of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), moves are under way to align pharmaceutical regulations that used to differ from country to country and to unify markets. Kenya in particular is the economic and logistics hub of East Africa, and is reportedly introducing "reliance," which makes use of the review results of other countries' regulatory authorities, and strengthening local manufacturing of medicines and medical devices.
Speakers will include Kenyan regulatory and quality control authorities and representatives of Japanese and Kenyan companies, who will present the latest trends in regulatory harmonization, quality assurance, research and development, and local manufacturing. A panel discussion will also address the challenges Japanese companies face when doing business in Africa and the possibilities for public-private partnership. Networking time is also planned at the venue, at lunchtime and after the program.
Key points
- Hear from people directly involved in Kenya about the latest trends in pharmaceutical regulatory harmonization and local manufacturing in Africa
- Case studies from companies in both Japan and Kenya and a panel discussion on the possibilities for public-private partnership
- A hybrid event at the venue and online, in English with simultaneous interpretation into Japanese
Why we recommend this event
That necessary medicines, vaccines and diagnostics reach people and that their quality is protected is the foundation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), under which everyone can receive the care they need. The movement to "make medicines locally and make them usable across countries" in Africa is drawing attention both for preparedness against health crises such as infectious diseases and for building regional industry.
When we think of international cooperation in health, we tend to imagine sending doctors and nurses, but cooperation on the side of systems, such as institution building, manufacturing and distribution, is also essential. For health NGOs and for companies and students interested in working in Africa, it is an opportunity to learn the latest situation on the ground all in one place.
Editor's comment
Terms like "regulatory harmonization" and "reliance" sound difficult, but in short they are ways of getting good medicines to people in more countries, faster. I think the theme shows how health care in Africa is changing from being on the receiving end of aid to making its own medicines and supporting the region.
The registration deadline is Thursday, October 8 at 3:00 p.m. You can also join online, so if you are interested in health care in Africa, please register early through JICA's page.