Kinshasa, March 30th,2026 (CPA).– The National Pharmaceutical Days, held under the theme “The pharmaceutical industry, a pillar of the national economy in the era of universal health coverage,” were officially opened Monday in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with the aim of enabling participants to reflect on how the sector can contribute to the success of universal health coverage in the country. “These proceedings are taking place in a context where our country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is engaged in a dynamic of transformation of its health system, with the noble ambition of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the background. In this perspective, the pharmaceutical sector occupies a central and unavoidable place,” said Monnot Kayiba, President of the Order of Pharmacists in the DRC. He stressed the importance of developing local industries, starting with the production of traditional medicines, and encouraging investors to support this momentum, notably by facilitating certain fiscal measures. For his part, Remy Mumweshi, a pharmacist delegate from Haut-Katanga, emphasized the need to locally produce certain products that are still imported, particularly water-based medicines, in order to reduce external dependence and gradually move toward health sovereignty.
Health sovereignty, a strategic imperative for the DRC
For his part, Dr. Body Ilonga, Secretary General for Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare, stressed that health sovereignty is no longer an option but a strategic imperative for the DRC, given the challenges related to human resources, regulation and the distribution of medicines. Meanwhile, the International Pharmaceutical Federation, represented by its Vice-President Didier Mouliom, encouraged the DRC to strengthen its local production of medicines while complying with standards and necessary clinical trials, in order to restore public confidence in national products. The National Pharmaceutical Days will conclude with the adoption of recommendations to be implemented by all stakeholders to strengthen and streamline the local pharmaceutical industry.