Pharma plant plans advanced

Everything is on track for the government’s new pharmaceutical plant except the funding that would realise this ambitious plan.
Minister of Finance Calle Schlettwein last week confirmed government’s plan to establish a “pharmaceutical capacity plant”, adding that the authorities were looking at attracting potential investors. Schlettwein also pointed out that the pharmaceutical plant will not be a public entity but will be run privately.
Minister of Health Bernard Haufiku said he recently met with the permanent secretary of the trade ministry and explained to them the need for Namibia to have a pharmaceutical plant but most importantly, a need for SADC.
“I have said time and again that two or more countries in the region must buy in. I am not convinced that the Namibian market alone will be enough. Mozambique has got a plant and has 10 million people and they are struggling to get a market for their products. The best is to do it together as a bloc that would somehow ensure sustainability,” said Haufiku.
He also noted that personally he believes that it would be better to have a private entity that can manage this plant and to ensure quality assurance.
Haufiku also urged that the plant is based in a town such as Katima Mulilo to ensure transport routes although government is leaning strongly towards Okahandja.
This project, that lies under the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, will be realised with the assistance of Cuban medical expertise as well as technical advice from that country.
This was confirmed by Jerobeam Shaanika, the Namibian ambassador to Cuba, who told Namibian Sun that a Namibian delegation comprised of various government ministry officials visited Cuba in July this year to pave the way for this agreement.
“There was a proposed memorandum of understanding which was drafted, but it could not be signed because the Cuban side must look into it. It has not been looked into because in Cuba August is a holiday period. Hopefully after the holiday there will be a response to that,” he said.
Shaanika said the memorandum set out obligations and expectations from Namibia and the Cuban government, as well as the basis of this operation.
From what Shaanika explained it appears that Cuba will only provide Namibia technical assistance and not financial support.
“We are looking more at the technical support. As you know Cuba has a very sophisticated medical industry. I think we are looking to emulate this example. They have capacity, they have technology and that is what Namibia needs,” he said.
World Health Organisation (WHO) country representative to Namibia, Monir Islam said the main focus of this plant will be to produce antiretroviral medicines.
Islam, who serves on the steering committee of the project, said he is positive Namibia can pull this off.
According to him, the committee is already looking at technical aspects such as the architecture of the plant as well as where raw materials for drugs will be sourced from.
“WHO is looking at the disease burden, i.e.: if we start with HIV drugs, we are looking at how many people need it and how many will need it in the future. We are also looking at providing technical support, such as quality control to ensure the quality of the drugs,” he explained.


FUNDING
Namibian Sun sent questions to the deputy minister of trade, Pieter van der Walt, asking what it will cost government to build this plant and where the funding will be generated from as well as what the target market is.
The deputy minister could, however, not respond as yet, claiming some of the questions were “too sensitive”.


JEMIMA BEUKES