According to President HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, the government will use positive discrimination when giving indigenous pharmaceutical companies supply contracts.
Positive discrimination, according to President HICHILEMA, will support the expansion of the regional pharmaceutical industry and provide jobs for locals.
The economy will be helped by supporting regional businesses, the President HICHILEMA continues.
At the official opening of the Zambia-EU Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Forum in Lusaka, President HICHILEMA emphasized the need for local businesses to prioritize quality and timely product delivery.
The European Union has also promised to assist Zambian pharmaceutical firms in acquiring the most up-to-date equipment so they can create enough medicines for the entire nation.
The EU would support Zambia as it works to develop medications locally and make the country drug-sufficient, according to EU Ambassador to Zambia JACEK JANKOWSKI.
The EU would support Zambia in its efforts to push for domestic medicine manufacture, according to Mr. JANKOWSKI, who was speaking at the Zambia-European Union Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Forum this morning in Lusaka.
In an effort to increase the country’s access to drugs, government officials, according to Health Minister SYLVIA MASEBO, have increased the budget for medications by three times, to 4.6 billion Kwacha.
Ms. MASEBO stated that in order to maintain the stability of the country’s access to medications, the government has also been working hard to eliminate the 2 billion Kwacha debt owing to medicine providers.
In order to support domestic pharma makers, the government has zero-rated the import of raw materials and medical equipment, according to Minister of Commerce, Trade, and Industry CHIPOKA MULENGA.
The World Health Organization is helping the Ministry of Health update the Drugs Policy, according to the country representative NATHAN BAKYAITA.
According to Dr. BAKYAITA, changing the rules will support local medication manufacture by encouraging oversight.
The Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM), meanwhile, asserted that the nation must be drug-self sufficient.
Medical autonomy, according to ZAM President ASHU SAGAR, will result in a healthy nation that can advance as a whole.
Improving Healthcare through Local Manufacturing is the focus of the three-day Zambia-European Union Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Forum.
