Gazette Staff CAIRO, April 18, 2018 - The Minister of Health, Ahmed Emad Eddin, on Wednesday discussed challenges to exports of medical drugs to African markets, especially to Somalia, with representatives of pharmaceutical companies, according to a press statement by the Health Ministry. During the meeting, the company representatives brought up some ideas that might help overcome some problems. Among the main difficulties is the delay in registering new medical drugs. Representatives of Egypt's Export council for Medical Industries have suggested establishing a special body for the registration of medicines in the Central Administration for Pharmaceutical Affairs, in order to facilitate exports of locally-made pharmaceuticals. Those attending also discussed the pricing policy of the Egyptian medical drugs in the local market, and how to set a competitive price in world markets. Emad Louis, the Secretary of Egypt's Export Council for Medical Industries (ECMI) said that the council seeks increasing investments by five to 10 per cent. Total investment in the sector amounted to LE2.2 billion. Loius said that the export of medical supplies reached US$250 million and the (ECMI) was trying to increase exports of local medical supplies by 20 per cent through bilateral co-operation. He said that a delegation of 14 Somali companies had visited Egypt last month, and that the council was anticipating a Bulgarian delegation to visit the country during the coming months. Amin Hussein El-Amiri, the Assistant Undersecretary for the UAE's Health Ministry's Public Health Policy and Licensing, said that the Arab countries have to establish a unified agency for food and drugs to set unified regulatory rules and laws for the health sector in the Arab region. El-Amiri said that Arab companies in the medical sector are facing big challenges because of the lack of coordination among Arab countries, and the Asian companies' invasion to the region, in addition to the lack of a unified pricing policy, and proper infrastructure for the manufacture of medical drugs. He said that the UAE has set a strategic plan 2021 for the medical drugs industries. The UAE is allocating 7.4 per cent of its budget during the current fiscal year to medical care, he said. Total investment in the UAE medical sector reached 62 billion UAE Dirham, and is targeting 117 billion UAE Dirham by 2027.
