SUMMER SCHOOL "Pharmaceutical Security and Sovereignty in the Context of Public Health and Communicable Diseases"

in collaboration with INES-Ruhengeri University

As part of the PNRR ACHIEVE-IT project (Academic Collaboration through Higher International Education for a Viable and Equitable Africa with Italy), funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, the University of Parma organized an intensive Summer School titled:“Pharmaceutical Security and Sovereignty in the Context of Public Health and Communicable Diseases”, held in Kigali, Rwanda, from June 16 to 19, 2025, in collaboration with INES-Ruhengeri University.

The course focused on the urgent need to strengthen pharmaceutical sovereignty and public health resilience in African countries transitioning to middle-income status. Key themes included the development of local pharmaceutical production, securing supply chains, navigating IP regulations, and addressing the dual burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Course topics included:

Regional strategies for drug manufacturing and health regulation.
Lessons from pandemic-induced supply disruptions (e.g., COVID-19).
Drug repurposing for emerging diseases.
Combating counterfeit medicines and improving regulatory capacity.
Local innovation: mRNA technology, biomanufacturing, and sovereignty initiatives.

The program combined lectures, practical workshops, and interactive simulations, culminating in crisis scenario exercises where participants acted as policy decision-makers. The Summer School also laid the groundwork for future academic collaborations between participating institutions.

SUMMER SCHOOL "Pharmaceutical Security and Sovereignty in the Context of Public Health and Communicable Diseases"

in collaboration with INES-Ruhengeri University

Archives