Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | December 23, 2025 – The 3rd Local Pharmaceutical Industry Development Forum (LoPID Forum) was successfully held at Hilton Hotel Addis Ababa, bringing together high-level representatives from government institutions, universities, research organizations, local manufacturers, sector associations, financial institutions, and development partners. The forum reaffirmed the Government of Ethiopia’s strategic priority to strengthen the local pharmaceutical manufacturing sector through coordinated action, evidence-informed decision-making, and institutional collaboration.
The term “LoPID Forum” coined by the Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), the forum was organized by the Ministry of Health (MoH) in collaboration with the institute and other partners. The LoPID Forum serves as a multi-stakeholder platform to identify bottlenecks affecting the sector and to promote practical solutions that enhance productivity, quality compliance, competitiveness, and investment readiness. Building on progress from prior forums, this year’s deliberations emphasized the need to increase domestic production, strengthen Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) implementation, improve access to finance and foreign currency, expand product portfolios, and enhance the availability of quality-assured locally produced medicines and medical supplies.
Key messages and deliberations
Participants held extensive consultations and agreed on the importance of sustained collaboration to:
- Increase productivity and competitiveness of local manufacturers and improve utilization of installed capacity;
- Address GMP implementation gaps through targeted technical support and consistent application of quality systems;
- Expand the share of domestic production and strengthen supply reliability for national health security;
- Improve access to finance and foreign exchange, and mobilize investment into the sector;
- Create a conducive business environment through mutual understanding, coordinated leadership, and shared accountability.
Remarks from national leadership and AHRI
In her opening remarks, H.E. Ms. Frehiwot Abebe, State Minister of Health, underscored the importance of regulatory capacity strengthening to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of locally produced pharmaceutical products. She noted the significance of the national regulator’s progress-highlighting the achievement of World Health Organization (WHO) Maturity Level 3 in the medicines regulatory domain as a key milestone in advancing regulatory oversight and sector confidence.
Prof. Afework Kasu, Director General of AHRI, presented updates on AHRI’s ongoing technical and research-supported contributions to local pharmaceutical manufacturing development. He highlighted emerging opportunities and evidence that can support domestic industry growth, including initiatives to expand product portfolios and increase the contribution of local production to the national market through coordinated institutional support.
Theme: “Institutional Cooperation for Self-Reliance”
The forum was conducted under the theme “Institutional Cooperation for Self-Reliance,” reflecting the shared commitment of stakeholders to strengthen the sector through partnership, harmonized implementation, and results-oriented coordination. Discussions focused particularly on financing constraints, experience sharing, and the collective actions required to unlock sector transformation.
Book launch: two strategic resources for quality and workforce development
A major highlight of the forum was the launch and dissemination of two flagship publications developed by AHRI’s Pharmaceutical Industry Development Sector in collaboration with key stakeholders:
- Workforce Development Curricula for the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Industry
This package is designed to address critical workforce and skills gaps by aligning training pathways with the practical competency needs of the manufacturing sector. - Pharmaceutical Quality Systems (PQS): A Comprehensive Implementation Workbook. This workbook is developed to strengthen the practical implementation of Pharmaceutical Quality Systems (PQS) within manufacturing facilities and to help bridge the gap between international and national GMP requirements and daily operational practice-particularly in emerging manufacturing environments.
During the parallel session, Messay Wolde-Mariam (Asst. Professor), Deputy Director General for Pharmaceutical Industry Development at AHRI, led further technical deliberations with stakeholders on the two publications. He emphasized that the idea originated from practical industry needs and was strengthened through AHRI’s coordination and technical leadership. He highlighted that both resources were developed using a triple helix collaboration model, engaging Addis Ababa University (AAU) School of Pharmacy, senior experts from local pharmaceutical manufacturers, and other sector stakeholders under the Industry–University–Research Institute linkage.
He further noted that the official dissemination marks the beginning of the next phase-structured implementation of the curricula through responsible institutions and institutional adoption of the PQS workbook as a practical reference to support quality systems strengthening and GMP maturity across the sector.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed to strengthen sector collaboration
To further institutionalize collaboration, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed among key institutions, the Ministry of Health, Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa University (AAU), the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Manufacturing Industry Sectoral Association (EPMSMISA), and the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Association to advance coordinated action within the framework of Industry–University–Research Institute–Civic Association linkage. The MoU aims to accelerate joint work in capacity building, technical support, and sustainable development of the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector.
The 3rd LoPID Forum concluded with a strong call for sustained multi-stakeholder coordination to translate shared priorities into measurable outcomes improving quality compliance, enabling investment, expanding local production, and strengthening Ethiopia’s progress toward a more self-reliant and competitive pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.
