Kenyan manufacturer sets the standard in Africa’s push to make its own medicines

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  • 7+ million doses of SPAQ delivered by UCL under Global Fund order
  • An estimated 1.8 million children in Mali to receive protection during the 2025 rainy season
  • WHO-prequalified SPAQ manufactured entirely in Kenya
  • UCL exports to 20+ countries

Kiambu, Kenya, 20 June 2025 – In a high-level visit convened on Friday 13 June by Universal Corporation Limited (UCL, a partner of Strides Pharma Science Limited) and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), representatives from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), World Health Organisation (WHO), the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) and leading research and policy institutions visited UCL’s manufacturing site in Kikuyu Township to witness first-hand the advances made in local pharmaceutical production.

Global Fund order will protect 1.8 million children in Mali

UCL, with their Indian partner Rena Experts Pvt Ltd, is the first African pharmaceutical manufacturer to receive a Global Fund procurement order for over 7 million doses of life-saving, quality-assured sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine (SPAQ) for seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC). This marks a major milestone in the fight against malaria and regional supply security.

This first-ever African-manufactured shipment, destined for Mali, will support the country’s SMC campaign, protecting an estimated 1.8 million children with four preventive doses on average per child during the high-transmission rainy season. SPAQ, a WHO-recommended preventive therapy, is critical to protecting children under five, and in some countries, older children, against malaria, the continent’s top killer of children.

This demonstrates that local pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa, which we have often spoken about in aspirational terms, is now taking shape on the ground. We are seeing what is possible when strong partnerships, real investment and shared commitment come together behind Africa’s health priorities.

Anthony Okara, ALMA Special Ambassador

Achieving global standards in medicine manufacturing in Africa

This procurement marks a major milestone of a long process to improve supply security in Africa  and demonstrates Africa’s ability to meet global standards in medicine manufacturing. Today’s achievement shows how that ability is now driving real impact, be it improving access to quality-assured antimalarials, strengthening supply security, and protecting lives at scale.

Africa bears the heaviest burden of malaria, and it must have the capacity to supply its own life-saving solutions. Our collaboration with UCL is part of a broader effort gathering momentum, to localise production and unlock regional manufacturing ecosystems.

Dr Martin Fitchet, CEO of MMV

Collaboration is central to defeating malaria on the continent

UCL’s success builds on sustained technical support from MMV with strategic backing from Unitaid to achieve WHO prequalification for 2 preventive malaria drugs and is in alignment with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and Africa CDC’s New Public Health Order. With strong partnerships and the support of international procurement agencies, this sets an important example of how the continent can strengthen its own pharmaceutical capacity.

This is a win for the continent, not just Kenya or Mali. We are proud to show that African manufacturers can meet global standards and deliver for African communities.

Perviz Dhanani, Founder and Managing Director of UCL

UCL’s milestone comes at a time when the call to strengthen local manufacturing in Africa has never been more urgent. With most medicines still imported, this achievement speaks directly to the continent’s push to meet its health needs through solutions produced in Africa, for Africa.

For malaria medicines, the momentum is expected to continue with two Nigerian manufacturers, Swipha achieved WHO certification for a preventive antimalarial in 2024 Emzor’s application is in progress.

A big push is needed to change the story on malaria

This progress is part of a much-needed big push to confront the growing pressure on health systems, worsening disease threats, strained global funding, extreme weather events, biological threats including insecticide and drug resistance and deepening inequalities in access to care. Expanding regional manufacturing is a crucial part of the response, alongside stronger investment, local innovation, and closer collaboration between governments, communities and the private sector.

That push is already gaining momentum. Across the continent, End Malaria Councils and Funds, public–private partnerships established to mobilise political will, domestic resources, and multisectoral support for malaria elimination are also promoting local manufacturing of malaria commodities. In Kenya, for instance, the EMC commissioned an assessment of the country’s capacity to produce malaria tools locally. At the continental level, EMC-linked advocacy through ALMA has supported manufacturers pursuing WHO prequalification, tackled regulatory barriers, and facilitated technology transfer in partnership with AUDA-NEPAD and Africa CDC. These efforts are helping to create the kind of environment manufacturers like UCL need to grow, by building demand, improving policy conditions, and encouraging long-term investment in African production.

About Universal Corporation Ltd (UCL)

UCL, a partner of Strides Pharma Science Limited is a Kenyan pharmaceutical manufacturing company based in Kikuyu Township, Kiambu County in the outskirts of the capital city of Kenya, Nairobi. The UCL manufacturing plant has been accredited with good manufacturing practice (GMP) certification by the local authorities (Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Kenya) and international quality compliance by various drug regulatory authorities (DRAs) . Currently, UCL manufactures over 100 formulations of human medicines. This manufacturing capability is divided as per the dosage forms produced in each line & includes tablets, capsules, ointments, creams & powder. The long-term plan of the company is to expand its specialty lines to cover all medical specialities. As quality is a priority, the manufacturing department is staffed by highly qualified and trained employees who undergo regular training on GMP procedures.

For more information, visit http://ucl.co.ke.

About MMV

MMV is a Swiss-based not-for-profit organization working to deliver a portfolio of accessible medicines with the power to treat, prevent and eliminate malaria. Born in 1999, out of a need for greater health equity, we close critical gaps in research, development and access – working “end-to-end” to expand the use of existing antimalarials and innovate new compounds to protect public health. This starts with women and children. It’s working. As of 2024, MMV-supported products have effectively protected or treated an estimated 711 million people. We cannot stop now. However, with a quarter of a billion malaria cases and nearly 600,000 deaths reported in 2023, progress towards disease elimination has stalled. MMV is part of an ecosystem of partners determined to change this. Bringing public and private sector partners together, we pioneer new solutions that align with local and global health priorities and promote the equitable development of effective and affordable products that work to help end malaria and advance health for all.

For more information, visit www.mmv.org.

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