Vow to push for local drug production

Making medicines locally in Africa will cut prices, increase access, officials say

Senior health officials from China and African nations vowed to improve cooperation and facilitate local drug production to promote public health in Africa at a meeting in Beijing last month.

Beijing Initiative, a document released after the High-level Meeting on China and Africa Health Cooperation, said officials had agreed to "encourage increased financing in the Chinese and African private sector to build factories in Africa, localize medical manufacturing, and facilitate access to consumer markets".