The Political Economy of Pharmaceutical Underdevelopmen

Despite adopting macroeconomic reforms designed to
improve the diffusion of technologies and adoption of new
ideas, technological innovation has remained limited in
South Africa. Consider innovation in the pharmaceutical and
life sciences sectors. Hailed as the largest manufacturer in
the continent, South Africa has long had the ambition to be
independent in its pharmaceutical production. Yet it
continues to channel funds towards the Global North,
importing between 70-90% of essential medicines. In this
research project, I will look to uncover why and how this is,
examining how economic policies such as strengthened
intellectual property laws, fiscal restraint, and trade
liberalisation have shaped the development of the
pharmaceutical sector within South Africa.
The project will adopt a mixed methods approach delivered
through two phases. I will first conduct a historical study of
South Africa's post-apartheid transition, focussing on its
economic reforms, before conducting a set of detailed case
studies. Each focussing on a specific disease area, the case
studies will explore how the economic reforms highlighted
in the first phase have conditioned scientific attempts to
develop essential medicines; policy options; and the ability
of local industry to respond. In this way, the project will
develop a causal account of how macroeconomic policy
shapes pharmaceutical underdevelopment in the Global
South.