On 1-3 March, the Zambian Ministry of Health, the EUD to Zambia and COMESA hosted a first ever Zambia-EU Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Forum. The theme of “Strengthening Healthcare through Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturing” attracted over 600 participants from Europe, Zambia and the region representing pharmaceutical industry (over 50 companies), potential investors, financial institutions, government, cooperating partners, diplomatic missions and civil society.
The Forum offered:
– Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Government (B2G) exchanges and networking,
– Panel discussions and presentations that helped better understand the Zambian business environment and the global framework for local manufacturing in Africa, and
– Field visits to manufacturing plants and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) to further explore the potential and capacities of the existing pharmaceutical industry in Zambia.
The forum already led to concrete business deals.
Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema confirmed his commitment to “realising Zambia’s ambition and full potential of becoming a producer and eventually an exporter of pharmaceutical products in the region and beyond”. EU ambassador Jacek Jankowski highlighted the importance of EU pharmaceutical and medical companies and investors to implement the Zambian government’s Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Initiative (ZPMI).
The Forum also created an important momentum for Zambian and EU companies that lead to concrete business deals. A MoU to set up a high-tech production health hub for medicines and vaccines was signed between the Zambian company Pharmanova and the Spanish Fredlab, with other European players also on board, notably German Rommelag and Bdv Behrens.
