Addis Ababa: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed revealed that considerable attention has been given to encourage the domestic production of medical supplies and medicines in Ethiopia.
The Prime Minister inaugurated the Domestic Medical Supplies Production and Innovation Exhibition at the Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa today.
On the occasion, he highlighted that in recent years, the government has been working to replace imported medicines with domestically produced alternatives.
‘Considerable attention has been directed towards the sector , beginning with policy reforms aimed at the domestic production of medical supplies and medicines. For Ethiopia, with a population exceeding 120 million, producing its own medicines is an urgent priority.’
Premier Abiy recalled that previously only 8 percent of medicines were produced domestically, but this figure has now increased to 36 percent.
He emphasized that the government is focusing on increasing the accessibility and capacity of domestic pharmaceutical production in t
he coming years.
Currently, not only are medicines being produced domestically to replace imports, but they are also being exported to other countries.
The Prime Minister pointed out that Ethiopia offers not just opportunities but also favorable conditions for investing in medical equipment production, with the sector having a market potential of over 1 billion USD.
The government is providing various support mechanisms, including creating favorable policy frameworks, to encourage both domestic and foreign investors to engage in pharmaceutical production.
PM Abiy invited investors to participate in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector through various options, including industrial parks.
He mentioned that this year’s Green Legacy Initiative will include extensive planting of medicinal plants and urged all citizens to embrace this practice.
The Prime Minister also stressed the need to enhance Ethiopia’s long-standing traditional medicine production with scientific knowledge, calling on everyone to cont
ribute to this effort.
Abiy has announced that extensive efforts are underway to expand hospitals and increase the number of healthcare professionals alongside medicine production.
The Premier further highlighted ongoing efforts to expand clean and hygienic spaces in support of the country’s preventive healthcare policy, with the “Clean Ethiopia” initiative being part of this work. He emphasized that expanding clean environments is not only beneficial for health but crucial for disease prevention.
To ensure comprehensive healthcare and disease prevention, the Prime Minister noted that alongside medicine production, work is being done to expand hospitals and increase the number of healthcare professionals.
Describing the newly opened Medical Supplies Production and Innovation Exhibition as a showcase of Ethiopia’s significant potential in the sector, Prime Minister Abiy invited all Ethiopians to visit and explore the exhibition.
The exhibition organized under the theme “Our Health byOur Products,” will be
open to visitors until the next Friday.
The main objective of the event is to boost the local medical equipment manufacturing sector among other related issues by showcasing Ethiopia’s healthcare investment opportunities as well as domestically produced medical products and services.
Over 110 manufacturers from the sector are participating in the exhibition, which will also feature networking opportunities for investors, panel discussions, and other programs.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency