MOMBASA, Kenya, Nov 12 — Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has called for greater investment in strong regulatory systems and local manufacturing of medical products across Africa to reduce the continent’s reliance on imports and strengthen its health security.Speaking during the 7th Biennial Scientific Conference on Medical Products Regulation in Africa (SCoMRA VII) held in Mombasa, where he represented President William Ruto, Duale said Africa’s long-term health sovereignty depends on its ability to produce quality medicines, vaccines, and diagnostics at scale.“Africa still imports more than 90 percent of its medicines. Strengthening regulatory systems and investing in manufacturing capacity are essential if we are to achieve health sovereignty,” he stated.The CS noted that Kenya has begun implementing end-to-end digital systems for procurement, quality surveillance, and the tracking of medical products to eliminate substandard and falsified commodities from the market.“By ensuring every shipment is verifiable from production to patient, we protect citizens, inspire investor confidence, and guarantee value for public resources,” he added.Duale underscored the role of digital innovation and artificial intelligence in advancing the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), noting that such technologies enhance transparency, efficiency, and accountability within the health supply chain.He urged African governments to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the African Medicines Agency (AMA) frameworks to build a harmonised and investable continental market for quality-assured health products.“Through partnership, performance, safety, and sustainability, we can unlock Africa’s full health potential and deliver real progress for our people,” the CS said.The Mombasa conference brought together regulators, policymakers, and industry stakeholders from across Africa to discuss ways of enhancing collaboration, innovation, and quality assurance in the continent’s pharmaceutical and medical products sector.