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IGAD Calls for East Africa to Build Its Own Health Economy

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — 21 August 2026

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has called for a fundamental shift in East Africa's approach to healthcare, urging governments and the private sector to invest more heavily in local manufacturing, sustainable health financing and regional health-system capacity.

IGAD Executive Secretary Dr Workneh Gebeyehu made the call at the 13th East Africa Healthcare Federation Conference and International Health Exhibition, held in Addis Ababa from 21–23 August under the theme “Resilience: Building the East African Health Economy.”

The conference brought together health ministers, government officials, private-sector leaders, investors, healthcare providers, development partners, academics and innovators.

IGAD argued that health should no longer be viewed primarily as a social expenditure. Instead, it should be treated as a strategic economic sector capable of creating skilled employment, attracting investment, supporting industrialisation and protecting human capital.

The argument reflects vulnerabilities exposed by recent global health emergencies, when disruptions to international supply chains affected access to medicines, equipment and other essential health commodities.

For East Africa, developing regional manufacturing capacity could reduce dependence on external suppliers while creating opportunities for pharmaceutical production, medical technologies, diagnostics and health-related industries.

The proposal also has implications for regional integration. Coordinated regulation, pooled procurement, shared research capacity and regional supply chains could allow individual countries to participate in a larger health economy rather than developing isolated national markets.

But building health sovereignty will require significant investment. Manufacturing facilities need reliable infrastructure, skilled workers, predictable regulation, financing and sufficiently large markets.

The message from Addis Ababa therefore extends beyond the healthcare sector: East Africa's health resilience increasingly depends on its ability to produce, finance and deliver more of what its populations need.

Source: IGAD

Urge Inside Health| East Africa. Urge- DevWire