Bio Usawa's Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Patrick Lukulay (center), was a panelist at the West Africa Biomanufacturing Regulation and Market Access Forum in Accra, Ghana, on March 24-25, 2026.

Earlier this week, Bio Usawa participated in the West Africa Biomanufacturing Regulation & Market Access Forum in Accra, Ghana, contributing to high-level discussions on the future of local manufacturing and supply of vaccines and biologics across the continent.

The Bio Usawa delegation was led by Chief Operating Officer, Patrick Lukulay, PhD, who served as a panelist on the session titled "Market Developments 2025–2030 — Supply Security and Pooled Procurement of Vaccines and Biological Products in Line with International Regulatory Requirements."

During the panel, Dr. Lukulay emphasized the urgency of advancing local biopharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa, not as a long-term aspiration, but as a strategic imperative tied directly to health security and system resilience.

“Africa’s push for local biopharmaceutical manufacturing is not an ambition. It is an existential necessity.”

He highlighted the growing burden associated with import dependence in an era defined by climate shocks, pandemics, geopolitical uncertainty, and declining donor support. He also underscored the parallel rise of non-communicable diseases across the continent, noting the increasing importance of biologics, particularly monoclonal antibodies, in modern treatment protocols.

The conversation further addressed the need to rethink procurement systems across African markets. Bio Usawa called for a shift away from lowest-cost models toward value-based frameworks that prioritize supply security, manufacturing resilience, and regional production capacity.

Bio Usawa’s engagement at the forum reinforces its commitment to building sustainable, Africa-led biomanufacturing ecosystems that improve access to essential biologics while strengthening long-term health system resilience.

Bio Usawa's Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Patrick Lukulay, speaks at the West Africa Biomanufacturing Regulation and Market Access Forum in Accra, Ghana, on March 25, 2026.