Across Africa, healthcare systems continue to face recurring medicine shortages, high medicine costs, procurement delays, and supply chain disruptions. While the continent carries nearly 25% of the global disease burden, Africa currently produces only about 3% of the world’s pharmaceuticals and imports between 70% and 80% of finished medicines. Vaccine dependency remains even higher, with […]
The Improving Pharmaceutical Access through Continuous Training (IMPACT) Project, supported by Action Medeor and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is working to enhance access to and quality of pharmaceutical care in rural areas across Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. The project focuses on strengthening the capacity of healthcare workers in key […]
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a growing global health crisis, responsible for an estimated 1.27 million deaths annually, with Africa bearing a disproportionate burden. Despite its impact, awareness at the community level remains limited, and behaviours such as inappropriate antibiotic use, self-medication, and incomplete treatment continue to drive resistance. Faith communities are among the most trusted and […]
The SAFER Project is a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening how health systems detect and respond to substandard and falsified (S/F) medicines. It strengthens ongoing Minilab efforts by not only supporting the detection of substandard and falsified medicines, but also improving how these findings are reported, shared, and acted upon across the health system. By […]
Poor-quality medicines not only compromise treatment effectiveness but also put lives, especially those of mothers and children, at serious risk. The SAFER Project (“Beyond Identification of Substandard and Falsified Medicines: Structural Adjustment for Effective Response”) is a groundbreaking initiative addressing the critical threat posed by substandard and falsified (S/F) medicines. The project aims to strengthen […]
As we celebrate the joy and hope of Easter, we are reminded of its powerful message of grace, renewal, and restoration. We are invited to reflect on the strength of faith, the triumph of hope over despair, and the promise of new beginnings for individuals, families, and communities. Let us pause and reflect on our […]
Last week, the International Maternal and Newborn Health (IMNH) Conference convened in Nairobi, bringing together global and national leaders, policymakers, implementers, and partners to reflect, share insights, and accelerate collective action to improve outcomes for mothers and newborns. With nearly half of all under-five deaths occurring within the first month of life, the urgency to […]
Date: 12 March 2026 EPN will host a strategic webinar focused on strengthening local pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa and aligning faith-based health systems with the continent’s growing health sovereignty agenda. Across Africa, many health systems still depend heavily on imported medicines and vaccines. In response, the African Union is advancing the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for […]
From Fragmented Purchasing to System-Level Access: Lessons from the 12th ACHAP Biennial Conference – Madagascar EPN participated in the 12th Biennial Conference of the Africa Christian Health Associations Platform (ACHAP) held from 23–26 February 2026 in Antananarivo, Madagascar, under the theme “Rethinking Health Systems for Africa’s Future: Faith, Innovation, and Sustainability.” The conference served as […]
The Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN) is spearheading a strategic project to develop a comprehensive position paper on Local Manufacturing (LM). This initiative is born out of an urgent need to strengthen faith-based health systems, which often serve the most vulnerable populations. For these systems, local manufacturing is a critical imperative to ensure medicine security, reduce […]
