Mako Jerera
Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care, (Rtd) General Constantino Chiwenga yesterday launched the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Strategy for Zimbabwe 2021-2025.
The strategy is designed to ensure that the pharmaceutical industry increases local production and exports of medicines into the region and the rest of the world.
It is also expected to improve the contribution to public health by increasing the country’s essential medicines.
Speaking at the launch, Vice President Chiwenga said the strategy is set to improve the affordability and availability of medicines.
“The overall thrust of the pharmaceutical development strategy is to make medicines accessible and affordable to the citizens”, he said.
Currently Zimbabwe`s medicines availability stands at 12 percent.
The Minister of Industry and Commerce Dr Sekai Nzenza said manufacturing medicines locally will enhance affordability.
“Zimbabwe is currently manufacturing only 12%of the medicines used locally and importing the rest, making most of our medicines expensive hence the strategy is expected to address that. We will use raw materials available locally so again this will go a long way in ensuring affordability. The strategy will thus ensure medicines are accessible and affordable. They will meet the required standards so they will be efficient”, she said.
Among the key highlights, the strategy seeks to;
• Double production of essential drugs to 60 percent and grow revenue to US$150 million from about US$32 million.
• The Pharmaceutical Sector Revitalisation Fund will also be set up to provide funding for the development of the sector moving into the future.
The local pharmaceutical industry consists of nine pharmaceutical companies including CAPS Pharmaceuticals, Varichem Pharmaceuticals, Pharmnova, Datlabs, Plus Five Pharmaceuticals, ZimPharm Graniteside and Gulf Drug. Ecomed produces veterinary products.
The strategy was developed against a value chain development as highlighted in the National Development Strategy 1 (2021-2025) and Zimbabwe National industrial development policy( 2019-2023).
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