Local manufacturers urged on vaccine production

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The Government has urged local pharmaceutical manufacturers to consider venturing into vaccine production.

According to health minister Jane Ruth Aceng, there is an acute demand in that area, which she attributes to the high epidemic outbreaks.

She also reveals that the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI) has set aside funds to support the manufacture of vaccines in African countries, including Uganda and that some companies in South Africa, Rwanda and Senegal have already been supported.

“Why should Uganda miss the opportunity? We can grab it and manufacture vaccines here, so, let’s take up the mantle,” she said.



She made the revelation while presiding over the opening of the 2025 Uganda Pharma Healthcare exhibition at the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) headquarters in Kampala on February 13, 2025.

During the event, Aceng challenged the manufacturers to ensure that Uganda no longer has to rely on importing Ebola kits and other materials, such as monoclonal antibody kits.

She said these items should be available in the country “so that when we have any outbreak we can hit the ground running”.

According to her, the Government has come up with many policies to promote local manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry.

Aceng said BUBU (Buy Uganda, Build Uganda) policy, for example, favours the manufacture of drugs in the country by discouraging taxation on locally produced drugs while encouraging restrictions and taxes on medicines from abroad.

“Government also offers offtake agreements for locally manufactured goods which guarantees a market for your goods. I, therefore, want to join President Yoweri Museveni to consider local manufacturing in Uganda. The ground is fertile and the market is available,” she said.    

Collaborative opportunity  

She hailed the expo, saying it provides the country with the opportunity to know about the latest innovations in medicine and "who is manufacturing what, how and where".

Aceng also highlighted the importance of knowledge sharing and technology transfer in promoting local manufacturing and urged local manufacturers to collaborate with international partners to acquire the necessary skills and technology.

A total of 35 participants from India, and 30 companies are participating in the weeklong expo, according to Singh Rawat, the India high commissioner to Uganda.

According to him, the warm Uganda-India relations since establishing diplomatic ties in 1962 and collaboration between the two countries have grown to include training programs, medical tourism, and the provision of high-quality medicines and healthcare technologies.

In the financial year 2023-2034, he said Uganda's exports to and imports from India amounted to $9.52m (about sh35.1b) and $9.90m (about sh36.4b), respectively, making a total bilateral trade of $1.842b (about sh6.7b).