Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Mimi Mefo Info
Published on 2024-04-09 20:43:24
The government is determined to increase the market share of local pharmaceutical companies. A few months ago, while visiting pharmaceutical companies in the city of Douala, Malachie Manaouda, the Minister of Public Health clearly indicated that one of the possible solutions is to integrate local products into public procurement.
Just this week, in front of the promoters of national pharmaceutical companies who requested government assistance to help them increase their market share, Malachie Manaouda reiterated his promise. The Minister of Health stated that this request is currently being considered. “Count on us to expand the market size,” the minister emphasized.
According to figures provided by local promoters, local pharmaceutical industries represent less than 2% of the national market, which is worth about 500 billion FCFA. Promoters hope to reach a 30% market share in the coming years. “We will gradually increase in order to ensure patient safety through quality medicines at a lower cost,” warned Malachie Manaouda.
However, the Ministry of Public Health has not yet set a specific goal to be achieved in the short term. It has also, for the time being, refrained from delving into the mechanisms to be put in place to satisfy local promoters.
According to a survey conducted in 2015, “significant gaps have been identified, including the lack of regulatory provisions requiring national manufacturers to have their medicines tested by the national quality control laboratory. Operationally, the weakness of the industrial fabric, consisting of eight production units covering less than 5% of the need for drugs, allows us to affirm that this industry is still in its infancy. Moreover, in terms of performance, it is a non-competitive industry with general performance indices generally below what is observed in some African countries with comparable economies (Ivory Coast, Senegal), with the exception of human resources. Furthermore, one of the major problems encountered by local manufacturers is the lack of an organized state support framework for local production. Conclusion: The main expectation of manufacturers from the authorities is the establishment of a competitive fiscal and legal environment favorable to competitiveness and investment,” according to this study.
Adolphe Mbarga Bihina
Read the original article(French) on Mimi Mefo Info
