More than 200 pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers and importers gathered last week to unravel medical supplies, lab equipment, pharmaceutical technology, and healthcare products at a health exhibition. Dubbed Ethio Health Exhibition & Congress, the event lasted for three days beginning February 23. Hosted by Prana Events, the managing director Nebeyu Lemma, said the hurdle faced by most manufacturers and suppliers has been the scarcity of foreign currency with the exhibition serving to attract foreign investors in the health sectors to work with local manufacturers and importers. NMW Medical Device Manufacturing Plc. established three years ago with 10 million Br capital, has been one of the companies present at the exhibition held at Sky-light Hotel, Africa Avenue (Bole Road). Tewodros Tefera, finance manager, said the company started to commercially manufacture five types of laboratory machinery beginning last year, importing the rest from Canada. It locally distributes equipment to Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Agency and local stores. “The plan is to commercialize imports and decrease the foreign currency demand,” he told Fortune. Tewodros has seen the exhibition as a grand opportunity to connect with local importers. East-African Pharmaceuticals Plc., established in 1997, was another company at the exhibition. The company manufactures pharmaceutical drugs with raw materials mainly imported from China and distributes them to Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Agency and public hospitals. Ashenafi Anteneh, the sales representative said the government has been encouraging local manufacturers. "We plan to manufacture fluids locally," he told Fortune.

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