450+ delegates from 25+ countries, 16+ national regulatory authorities, 125+ speakers and 30+ solution providers came together for five days of regulatory dialogue across pharmaceuticals, medical devices, IVDs and diagnostics.
NAIROBI, 5 October 2026: AfriSummit 2026 concluded in Nairobi on Friday, 2 October, bringing government leaders, regulators and industry together from across Africa and beyond to advance pharmaceutical, medical device, IVD and diagnostics regulation across 2 dedicated summits, PharmaReg and MedDevReg AfriSummit.
Held from 28 September to 2 October at Emara Ole-Sereni Hotel, the sixth edition extended well beyond conference sessions, with ministerial engagement, regulator-industry one-to-one meetings, specialised workshops, eCTD training, an exhibition, networking and the AfriSummit Gala Dinner creating multiple opportunities for exchange across the week.
AfriSummit 2026 was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Health, Kenya and under the patronage of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), with the World Health Organization (WHO) as Continental Strategic Partner.
The opening day brought senior government and regulatory leaders together with industry around the role of stronger regulatory systems in supporting patient safety, access, local manufacturing, innovation and sustainable healthcare development.
In his opening remarks, Hon. Aden Duale highlighted the scale of Africa’s manufacturing challenge, noting that the continent imports more than 70% of the health products it consumes, while approximately 85% of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities are concentrated in just eight countries. He outlined Kenya’s 2026–2030 Health Products and Technologies Local Manufacturing Strategy, which targets local production of at least 50% of essential health products by 2030.
Hon. Aden Duale, EGH, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Kenya, highlighted:
“If we can align our regulatory and market-shaping efforts, we can create a stronger business case for investment.”
The discussions set the direction for the week, shifting the focus from shared regulatory ambitions towards the systems, partnerships and capabilities needed to put them into practice.
From 28–30 September, PharmaReg AfriSummit addressed practical approaches that can strengthen regulatory processes and support more efficient access to quality-assured health products across Africa.
“What stood out this year was how practical the conversations became. Regulators and industry were looking beyond the challenges to where processes can work better, where experience can be shared and where collaboration can make a measurable difference. The real value comes when those conversations continue beyond AfriSummit and contribute to stronger regulatory systems and better access,” said Dr. Mona Al Moussli, Chairman of AfriSummit.
The conversation continued with MedDevReg AfriSummit on 1–2 October, placing medical devices, IVDs and diagnostics firmly in focus.
Together, the two programmes reflected how quickly Africa’s regulatory landscape is expanding beyond traditional product registration towards new technologies, stronger oversight and increasingly connected regulatory systems.
Across the week, recurring recommendations centred on greater regulatory harmonisation and reliance, stronger institutional capacity, accelerated digitalisation, support for local manufacturing and sustained regulator-industry engagement. The emphasis was on reducing duplication, improving regulatory efficiency and strengthening access to quality-assured health products across African markets.
“Five days matter when they create momentum beyond the event. In Nairobi, we saw an openness to exchange experience, listen across markets and build relationships between people working on many of the same regulatory challenges. The next step is to carry those connections forward and turn the knowledge shared here into progress,” said Dr. Najiba Al Shezawy, Co-Chairman of AfriSummit.
From pharmaceutical regulation and local manufacturing to medical technologies, digitalisation, vigilance and supply-chain integrity, AfriSummit 2026 demonstrated the breadth of the regulatory agenda now shaping healthcare across Africa.
A key update shared during the opening programme was that 13 new pharmaceutical companies have commenced operations in Kenya, with some already manufacturing for export, signalling further momentum behind the country’s local manufacturing agenda.
Further information and post-event updates are available at pharmaregafrisummit.com.
