South African doctor calls for Africa to produce its own medicines

South African National AIDS Council chairperson and Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism representative Thembisile Xulu says true health sovereignty depends on Africa’s ability to produce its own medicines and strengthen its health systems.

She said this at the 4th International Conference on Public Health in Africa held in Durban over the weekend.

“HIV prevention is central to universal health coverage. We cannot achieve health security without confronting HIV head-on because epidemic control is universal health coverage in action,” Xulu said.

She said domestic financing is crucial for sustaining progress and reducing dependence on external donors.

“Donations are not a financing model, but a bridge that Africa must now complete through domestic investment,” she added.

Xulu also criticised Gilead Sciences for not issuing a voluntary licence for local manufacturing despite sub-Saharan Africa’s participation in clinical trials.

“Sub-Saharan Africa carries the highest HIV-AIDS burden and remains the largest consumer of antiretroviral drugs, yet we are excluded from producing the medicines our population depend on. That is neither sustainable nor equitable,” she added.

South Africa on Monday announced that it is making progress in HIV-AIDS prevention and access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). More than two million people have started using oral PrEP, with 98% of public primary healthcare facilities now offering the service.

“This success has been based on the very core principles of universal health coverage equity, access, community-led delivery and system integration. When scaled up properly, PrEP is not only life-saving but also cost-saving,” Xulu said.

She announced that Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable drug, will soon be added to South Africa’s HIV-AIDS prevention toolkit.

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