According to a report from the Ministry of Health, Ethiopia, like many of the developing countries, relies heavily on imported pharmaceutical products to address the pharmaceutical needs of its people, which make the country vulnerable to supply chain disruption aside from consuming its budget due to the rising prices of pharmaceutical items.
However, in recent years, to change this scenario and meeting the demand it needs, the Ethiopian government is engaging in drug production initiative and is undertaking a number of activities to enhance local capacity to production of pharmaceutical products, become self-reliant, improved access, and affordability of pharmaceutical products and transform Ethiopia into a regional pharmaceutical manufacturing hub. In response, encouraging progress is seen.
While presenting her Ministry’s 100-day performance review of current Ethiopian fiscal year, Health Minister Mekdes Daba (MD) also revealed the improvement witnessed in the pharmaceutical sector.
According to the Minister, Ethiopia’s domestic production of drugs and other medical supplies has reached 36%. The ‘Made in Ethiopia’ national movement which has been carried out since the past two years with the aim to encourage domestic manufacturers and increase productivity, has also been playing a significant contribution in enhancing local production of drugs and other medical supplies.
In earlier times, Ethiopia’s domestic production capacity of drugs and other medical supplies was only 8%. However, currently, the country has been able to cover 36% of drugs and other medical supplies by domestic production, Minister Mekdes added.
Among other contributing factors for the achievements, the incentives being provided by the government in a bid to encourage domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers resulted in the entrants of new investors in the sector.
“Two medicine manufacturing companies have entered into Ethiopia and commenced production over the past 100 days alone.”
The country is exerting efforts to manufacture drugs and other medical supplies with a vision to meet domestic demand and export to African countries thereby gain significant economic returns.
In an exclusive interview with the Deputy General Manager of Addis Pharmaceutical Factory Yohannes Fisha, the incentives put in place by the government to support the pharmaceutical industry are yielding considerable outcomes.
Ethiopia has the potential for both the manufacturing and marketing of essential pharmaceutical products. The progress witnessed in the area is promising; however; more efforts should be applied to address the bottlenecks demonstrated in the industry.
He further noted that if local pharmaceuticals manufacturing industries are supported in every possible way in a way they can produce significant amounts of medicines and pharmaceutical items, to improve access and provide to the market with reasonable price, be it at home or regional levels.
It is crystal clear that ensuring access to essential medicines is not merely a matter of public health; it is also fundamental human right. This principle, enshrined in international frameworks and national legislations, has been a driving force behind Ethiopia’s comprehensive efforts to guarantee equitable access to life-saving drugs for its citizens.
According to him, the right to health, as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, encompasses the right to access essential medicines. This recognition underscores the inextricable link between the availability of medicines and the realization of the highest attainable standard of health.
“I personally urge the government and pertinent stakeholders to increase efforts in supporting the sector because it improves access to essential medicines with reasonable price. Moreover, it can also spur job creation and technology transfer as well as ensure broader economic growth.”
Addis Pharmaceutical Factory is working attentively to produce essential medicines that could help Ethiopia make self-reliance and a pharmaceutical manufacturing hub of Africa in the future.
Pharmaceutical Analysis and Quality Assurance Senior Expert at Debere Birhan University, Yehualashet Teshome for his part said that the recorded achievement is commendable. It is a promising step in building national self-reliance in the pharmaceutical industry through local production.
He noted that Ethiopia is a huge country with various topography and population density. The figure tells the extent of the demand for essential medicines among the society.
To address the supply and demand gaps, Yehualashet recommended the significance of working in collaboration with all concerned bodies to enhance quality control measures, build responsible pharmaceutical companies and produce as per international standard.
To increase the performance in local production of pharmaceutical medicines and other products, the Ethiopia Investment Commission and stakeholders should keep on inviting foreign and local investors to join the industry.
The Ethiopian Food and Drug Administration (EFDA) which is in charge of safeguarding the public’s health through ensuring the safety and quality of food and efficacy of medicines as well as functionality of medical devices and other health products, should reinforced its activities in this regard.
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Management Lecturer at Dambi Dollo University Wondimu Yemane for his part said that the pharmaceutical industry demands skilled human capital. In this regard, it is important to avail the sector with well-educated, prudent workforces.
“The human capital development in Ethiopia is more inclined to clinical trials than industrial development so it is high time to frame ways in balancing between the two. And it is advisable to strengthen university –industry linkage and provide trainees with industry led contents to produce informed human capital that could support the nation’s pharmaceutical industry.”
The pace seen in the sector is creditable; but it is necessary to harness efforts in ensuring the sustainability of local pharmaceuticals industry progress through addressing the bottlenecks of the sector.
He finally said that, if all stakeholders work thoroughly in building nation’s ambition to become self-reliant in the pharmaceutical sector through local production, it will be possible to produce and enhance access to life-saving medicines not only for local consumption but also provide for countries of the region, he concluded.
BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
The Ethiopian Herald June 23/2024
