Local manufacturing is not just a priority— it is a national commitment

Frehiwot Abebe, State Minister, Ministry of Health, Ethiopia, and Bhavin Mukund Mehta, Vice Chairman, Pharmexcil, discuss Ethiopia's evolving pharma ecosystem.

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They outline the country's regulatory reforms, strategies to strengthen local manufacturing, investment- friendly policies, and future plans for capacity building and vaccine development. The conversation also highlights the growing India-Ethiopia partnership, with insights from Pharmexcil on export trends, regulatory alignment, and improving the ease of doing business

Ethiopia is undergoing significant evolution in its pharma regulatory landscape. What are the most critical regulatory reforms underway, and how do you envision international partners contributing to this transformation?

Frehiwot Abebe: Ethiopia, with a population of over 130 million, is currently reforming its local pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. More than 85 per cent of our pharma are imported, so our visit to India had two main objectives: first, to learn from India's journey in becoming a global pharma hub, and second, to promote investment opportunities in Ethiopia.

Strengthening the regulatory framework has been essential. Over the past two to three years, we have worked continuously with the World Health Organisation to meet global regulatory benchmarks. Recently, we achieved Maturity Level 3 for pharma products, which indicates that our regulatory system is now stable, reliable, and supportive of local manufacturing and export.

To create a more responsive regulatory environment, we assessed our challenges—particularly delays in responsiveness and communication. We have now digitised the entire system, enabling companies to apply online for product registration and submit all required documentation electronically.

India accounts for more than 70 per cent of our pharma imports, so during our visit we sought feedback directly from Indian investors. Some challenges they highlighted included delays in GMP inspections. We have already begun working on improving the speed and efficiency of GMP assessments.