Dr. Skhumbuzo Ngozwana

View Dr. Ngozwana’s presentation HERE.

Dr. Ngozwana is an international expert on the African Pharmaceutical industry, who has served as a consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United States Pharmacopeia Convention (USP) among others. As the International lead consultant for UNIDO, Dr. Ngozwana co-authored the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa that was adopted by the African Union heads of state and government in 2012. The plan was the output of the extensive research and analytical work he conducted on the African pharmaceutical industry.

He was part of an expert team of three appointed by WHO to develop the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Sector Strategy and Action Plan in (2015). This document was adopted by the Ethiopian government as a blueprint for developing the Ethiopian pharmaceutical sector; and is now incorporated into the Ethiopian Growth and Transformation Plan II. His last assignment with UNIDO involved the development of Ghana’s Pharmaceutical Sector Development Strategy (2017). He developed USP’s Africa strategy (2016), and worked with the USP Nigeria office to develop a sector strategy for the Nigerian pharmaceutical sector (2019). His last USP assignment was the development of a Thought Leadership Paper titled, The Next Frontiers for the Public Health Medicines Market: Rethinking priorities for improved access to quality-assured medicines for universal access, published as a white paper in July 2019.

Dr. Ngozwana has extensive contacts and networks through the African pharmaceutical and healthcare landscape, with regulators, procurement bodies, industry and various leading key opinion leaders. Prior to his consulting career, he worked for then JSE listed Cipla Medpro as its Deputy Chief Executive Officer. He is passionate about the development of the African pharmaceutical industry; access to quality assured medicines and health technologies on the continent and has made significant contributions in developing the Industry.

Other career highlights:
▪ Founder, President & Chief Executive Officer of Kiara Health, and played an instrumental role in signing exclusive licenses for various innovative medical technologies for the sub-Saharan market. He has got extensive experience in introducing new medical technologies to the African market, including mobilizing Key Opinion leaders, getting products licensed with regulatory authorities, and listing them with private medical insurance schemes for reimbursement.
▪ Member of the Clinical Trials Advisory Committee of the African Academy of Sciences
▪ Chairman of the board of Directors of Biovac (a South African based Vaccine manufacturer – and a Public Private Partnership).
▪ Member of the board of Foundation NEXT (www.next2people.org); a Geneva based organization pioneering a new model of community-based care in the treatment of Tuberculosis across various African countries
▪ Former Chairman of the National Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of South Africa (NAPM) and led the NAPM into the International Generic Medicines Alliance (IGPA), where he was an EXCO member.
▪ Founding chairman of the Southern African Generic Medicines Association; and founding member of the board of the Federation of African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (FAPMA); both of which he continues to serve as a board member.
▪ Former member of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research’s Biosciences Research Advisory Panel.
▪ As part of a key group of African Pharmaceutical executives, he has been intimately involved in efforts to lobby and engage multilateral organizations and the international global health community on behalf of African pharma.
As a thought leader, he has been invited to share his extensive knowledge on diverse topics on African pharma at leading local and international pharmaceutical and public healthcare conferences and key stakeholder engagement platforms.