A six-day domestic pharmaceutical production and innovation expo was inaugurated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) last week. More than 110 local pharmaceutical manufacturers participated at the Millennium Hall on Airport Road. Recently appointed Minister of Health Meqdes Daba (MD), said local production of pharmaceuticals has become a cornerstone of health policy, which received approval from the Council of Ministers a month ago. However, a report from the Global Fund For Health last year revealed troubling statistics: 54pc of Ethiopian physicians reported patient deaths due to shortages of essential medicines and supplies. The compounded effects of conflict and a severe foreign currency shortage have also hampered the import and distribution of medical products to regional states in recent years. The PM underscored the importance of import substitution in the medical sector, reflecting on experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, marked by shortages in pharmaceutical inputs. He noted that domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing has advanced in recent years, now constituting 36pc of the market.
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