Nairobi, May 11 -- As Kenya convenes global innovators, investors and partners at this week's Africa Forward Summit, one issue should frame the conversation: how Africa builds health manufacturing capacity.

Africa carries roughly 25 percent of the global disease burden, yet accounts for only about 3 percent of global pharmaceutical production.

African countries still import most of the health products they rely on, including up to 95 percent of diagnostics and 99 percent of vaccines. This is a significant gap that represents both a vulnerability and an opportunity. This dependence is not just a supply chain issue, but an economic and governance choice we can change.

Fortunately, Kenya has made a start. At the very heart of this shift i...