According to the health minister, the import of medicines is one of the main sources of supply for the national market, a scenario that the Government intends to change.
Cited by Angop, the minister said that the pharmaceutical industry in the country is still at an embryonic stage and, in order to change this scenario, Angola is making efforts to attract private investment.
Sílvia Lutucuta also considered that a "robust industry" for the manufacture of medicines is intended: "We want a robust industry that manufactures medicines, reagents and also equipment that serves not only the national market but also the international market", she said.
According to Angop, the official also took the opportunity to speak about the workshop – which runs until the 18th of November –, referring that the event will provide some guidelines on what the Government needs to improve in the National Development Plan.
She added that the Executive, being aware "of the need to implement a robust regulatory agency for medicines", asked the World Health Organization (WHO) for help to strengthen the Regulatory Agency for Medicines and Health Technologies (ARMED).
In addition, he also referred that the "assessment of ARMED's competences through benchmarking by the WHO will allow the elaboration of an Institutional Development Plan, the integration of ARMED in the Regulatory Harmonization Project of SADC and the African Union, within the scope of regulatory strengthening pharmaceutical industry on the continent, making Angola a regional power in the local production of medicines pre-qualified by the WHO".
