EPN Executive Director Richard Neci participated in the World Health Summit 2026 in Berlin, Germany, contributing to discussions on local pharmaceutical manufacturing, pooled procurement, and strengthening health systems for improved access to quality-assured medicines.
During a roundtable on local manufacturing, he highlighted the importance of including faith-based organisations (FBOs) in Africa’s continental pharmaceutical strategies, drawing on EPN’s experience in medicine quality assurance. Through the Minilab Network, EPN and its partners have tested more than 20,000 medicine samples over the past decade, generating evidence to inform pharmaceutical policy and strengthen medicine quality surveillance.
Richard also presented at the session “NTDs 2030: Turning Challenges into Health System Strength,” highlighting gaps in neglected tropical disease (NTD) medicine access, supply chains, and community-based delivery.
His participation reinforced EPN’s commitment to ensuring that faith-based health systems contribute to pharmaceutical policy and health system strengthening, advancing equitable access to safe, quality-assured medicines and sustainable last-mile delivery across Africa.