Building the African Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Information Network: One Year of PPRI Africa

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Marking a milestone — and looking ahead to Johannesburg 

in 2025, under the AU-EU Health Partnership and with the support of Team Europe via Enabel, an ambitious pilot project took its first steps: the Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Information Network of Authorities in Africa: PPRI Africa. 

Today, we are proud to reflect on what has been achieved in its one year existence, and to announce the network's 2nd annual meeting, will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 24–26 March 2026. 

A network taking root 

PPRI Africa has grown into a community of 14 African countries and 2 regional institutions (WHO AFRO and Africa CDC) bringing together pharmaceutical policy authorities in a spirit of peer learning and mutual support. 

The network's Secretariat, hosted by the Pharmacoeconomics Department of the Austrian National Public Health Institute (a WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies), has delivered a strong first year of activities: 

• An inaugural in-person meeting in Senegal (April 2025), which set the tone for open, transparent exchange among members 
• Three online training sessions covering pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policy overviews, cross-country medicine price comparisons, and distribution margin regulation 
• A dedicated knowledge platform serving as a shared repository for all network documents, reports, and resources 
• Comparative reports produced in both English and French, ensuring inclusive participation across the continent 

What members are saying 

Members highlight the value of the network as a platform for informal exchange, praising the quality and relevance of training sessions, the smooth organisation of activities, and the opportunity to learn from peers facing similar policy challenges. They also point to the network's role in guiding national policy development and keeping participants connected to global trends in medicine pricing.  

After one year, the commitment from member countries remains high, with participants unanimously advocating for the network's continuation and expansion. 

Coming up: 2nd Annual meeting in Johannesburg 

Building on this momentum, PPRI Africa members will convene in person for the 2nd Annual Meeting, kindly hosted by the National Department of Health of South Africa, from 24 to 26 March 2026 in Johannesburg. 

Looking forward 

The network has potential to continue to grow with interest in expanding membership to additional African countries. 

PPRI Africa is a concrete demonstration of what the AU-EU Health Partnership can achieve: peer-driven capacity building to strengthen pharmaceutical systems, improve access to medicines, and support evidence-based policymaking. 

PPRI Africa is funded by Belgium under the Global Gateway AU-EU Health Partnership and implemented by Enabel, the Belgian Development Agency. The Secretariat is managed by the Pharmacoeconomics Department of the Austrian National Public Health Institute (GÖG). For more information: ppriafrica@goeg.at