Egypt aims to become a regional pharmaceutical manufacturing hub in Africa, with more than 180 registered drug factories and an annual production capacity of 74 billion pharmaceutical units, Chairman of the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) Ali El-Ghamrawy said.
Addressing a “Citizen’s Health” session during Egypt Forum 2026, on Tuesday, El-Ghamrawy described pharmaceuticals as a ‘strategic national industry’, and stressed that the state was working to localise production, expand manufacturing capacity and deepen local content to meet domestic demand and boost the competitiveness of Egyptian medicines.
Of the more than 180 registered factories, around 150 are operational, alongside facilities specialising in pharmaceutical raw materials and others still under construction or completing preparations for production, he noted.
According to the EDA’s chief, Egypt’s pharmaceutical market has grown from around $1.8–2 billion to approximately $8 billion in 2025, reflecting sustained expansion.
The Egyptian market accounts for roughly one-third of Africa’s pharmaceutical market, while per capita medicine consumption is about three times the continental average.
Domestic pharmaceutical production reached around 74 billion units in 2024, up from 66 billion previously, he said, adding that locally manufactured medicines meet quality, efficacy and safety standards comparable to those of imported products.
El-Ghamrawy said temporary medicine shortages could result from production-line disruptions, difficulties securing imported raw materials or sudden seasonal increases in demand.
The EDA is stepping up inspections of factories and medicine distribution outlets to strengthen market oversight and ensure medicines reach citizens regularly and fairly, he added.
