Africa houses 1.2 billion people, about 11% of the global population. Along with this population burden, the continent also bears a disproportionate burden of disease, with 60% of people with HIV/AIDS living in Africa, and more than 90% of the annual global malaria cases being in Africa1. The continent is also afflicted by significant infectious diseases and increasing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Africa has faced significant public health challenges due to insufficient access to quality, safe, efficacious, and affordable medical products over the years.2 In 2022, some children reportedly lost their lives from acute kidney injury in Gambia after ingesting imported adulterated cough syrups. Events such as these are not just shocking, but also distressing knowing they could have been easily avoided.
Why is it hard for Africa to have a timely access to quality medicines?
Weak and fragmented regulatory system: Several African countries have unclear policies and incomplete or incoherent legal and regulatory frameworks. A 2012 study found that it took 4 to 7 years on average to register a new product in Sub-Saharan Africa, compared to just 6 to 12 months in high-income regions3. Furthermore, there is a shortage of competent regulatory professionals along with an underdeveloped regulatory infrastructure. Ineffective regional collaborations exist among the National Medicine Regulatory Authorities (NMRA).
Presence of a few local and regional pharma manufacturing companies: The continent has approximately 375 drug makers serving over 1.1 billion people, and these companies are mostly concentrated in North Africa. Those in Sub-Saharan Africa are clustered in 9 of the 46 countries. When one compares this figure to 10,500 drug manufacturers in India and 5,000 in China for 1.4 billion population each, then the difference becomes quite apparent4.
Limited financial and technology support: Most of the African countries operate on limited social benefits or universal health coverage. Additionally, there is a lack of state-of-art healthcare provisions capable of handling innovative global health products. There exists a vast digital divide among African health systems. In most countries, poor linkages are seen amongst different information systems and solutions as they are not designed to capture robust data across multiple sectors.
Pharmadynamics is a UK licensed healthcare supplier founded by Nigerian pharmacists, Tony Uche Irechukwu over a decade ago. The company was founded to provide procurement solutions of pharmaceutical, medical devices and diagnostics with services targeted towards the entire healthcare sector within the U.K and Africa.
The company is one of the biggest African indigenous brand in the UK dedicated to providing products and services within a wide scope of pharmaceutical merchandise offering the very best of services available. They offer these via the integration of Supply Chain best practices while at the same time complying with stringent regulatory and Industry demands.
In dealing with the needs of our customers, we focus on agility; this means that with our flexibility, good logistic process and capacity management, we are able to efficiently adapt to changes as they emanate.
By taking care of the procurement needs of our customers, we are able to efficiently and effectively leverage their cost containment.
Pharmadynamics ambition is to transform the lives of people who are unable to access quality pharmaceutical products through seamless supply to dealers, distributors and retail outlets, allowing the peope to live the best life that they can – as free as possible from the challenges and uncertainty of disease. That commitment comes to life in our research and development activities across neurology, immunology and other areas where our expertise, innovation and ambition align with unmet needs.
Pharmadynamics is continuously working to advance science and embrace new knowledge, bringing passion and leadership to solving the challenges that matter to people living with severe diseases. We are leveraging scientific advances and new technologies in areas including genetics, biomarkers and human biology. Continually inspired by those we serve to bring differentiated solutions with unique outcomes that deliver tangible, positive impacts.
Since it was founded in 2008, Pharmadynamics has built a multi-million pounds facility for pharmaceutical warehousing in the UK and working with strategic partners in Asia and Africa to replicate its success in other countries, especially in Africa where there is a growing demand for quality and affordable products that can save millions from fake and substandard products.
The world class facility is built on a 9,000 square foot of warehousing space, over 5,000 units of products processed daily and 60 pellets delivered weekly.
With its growing portfolio of 30,000 products including branded, generic, OTC, specialty drugs for pharmacies, supplements, vitamins, medical equipment supply and consultancy.
The company has been engaged in humanitarian support in Africa through its provision of free medicines to countries affected by disaster, terrorism and pandemic. With subsidiaries in Africa and Asia, the company is focused on building a world class pharmaceutical warehousing facility in major cities in Africa. It has already commenced plans in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria.
This is in its efforts to deploy world class technology and expertise into the industry in Africa where the founders are from.
by Esther Nwgu, Aug-Oct 2023.