Team Europe has signed four contracts worth €40 million to boost Rwanda’s pharmaceutical sector, marking a key milestone in the EU’s broader support for local health manufacturing, the Delegation of the European Union to Rwanda said in an emailed statement.
The agreements, building on a December 2023 commitment witnessed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, aim to enhance local production of affordable, high-quality health products.
This funding will support Rwanda’s efforts in pharmaceutical research and development, skills training, entrepreneurship, and supply chain strengthening. It complements ongoing EU initiatives under the Team Europe Initiative on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines, and Health Technologies in Africa (MAV+), part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
“Today’s signature marks a momentous occasion for the partnership between Team Europe and Rwanda,” the EU Ambassador to Rwanda, Belen Calvo Uyarra said.
Adding, these projects will support Rwanda’s vision of becoming a regional hub for pharmaceutical and vaccine production.
Rwanda’s Minister of State for Health, Yvan Butera, affirmed the government’s commitment to building a pharmaceutical manufacturing hub.
“Today’s signing ceremony signals that local capacity-building and addressing global health imbalances remain a priority for the European Union,” he said.
The contracts were signed during the East Africa Pharma and Biotech Conference in Kigali, hosted by the Rwanda Biomedical Center and Africa CDC, with support from the German Development Cooperation. The projects will be implemented by European development agencies, including Expertise France, GIZ, and Enabel, in close collaboration with Rwandan partners.
