At The Lancet General Hospital in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, a nurse skillfully administered intravenous fluids to patients, and as the medication gradually took effect, the patient’s symptoms were relieved. The medication used by this patient comes from a Chinese company’s factory located in the local area.
In recent years, more and more Chinese pharmaceutical companies have gone to Africa to invest and establish factories, which not only helps these African countries improve their local pharmaceutical capabilities, but also cultivates more industry talents for the local area, long-term empowerment of “African medicine, African manufacturing”, and building the “Healthy Silk Road”, becoming a vivid practice to promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Entering Africa to benefit the local community
According to data from the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 99% of vaccines, 70% to 90% of drugs, and medical equipment in Africa need to be imported. Many African countries have been struggling with drug shortages, and even the daily use of physiological saline often relies on imports. Medical and health cooperation is a key area of China Africa cooperation, and Chinese pharmaceutical companies bring good news to African patients.
In October 2018, Sansheng Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. started production in Ethiopia. Jiang Zhiwen, General Manager of Sansheng Pharmaceutical, introduced that the company currently produces 10 million bags of large infusion solutions, 300 million small water needles, and 5 billion tablets of solid preparations annually. Among them, the major infusion mainly consists of basic infusion such as sodium chloride and glucose. Many of the infusion drugs at The Lancet General Hospital come from the Three Saints.
The drugs produced by the company are all needed in the Ethiopian market. In the past, most of the local drugs relied on imports, but now import procurement has been reduced. This not only saves foreign exchange, but also benefits the development of the local basic pharmaceutical industry, “Jiang Zhiwen said in a recent interview.
Casahong Alemu, the technical manager of Sansheng Pharmaceutical, told reporters that his sister suffered from postpartum hemorrhage last year. Doctors gave her drugs produced by Chinese pharmaceutical companies, which pulled her back from the brink of death.
Many Chinese pharmaceutical companies have entered Africa and taken root locally. In the West African country of Mali, Renfu Africa Pharmaceutical was established and put into operation in Bamako in 2015, becoming the first localized pharmaceutical factory in Mali and the most modern pharmaceutical factory with the highest construction standards in West Africa. Former President Ibrahim Keita once commented, “This Chinese pharmaceutical company has benefited the people of Mali, helped us acquire the ability to independently produce drugs, and ended Mali’s history of not being able to produce drugs
According to the “2024 World Malaria Report” released by the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 95% of global malaria deaths in 2023 will occur in the WHO Africa region. The Fosun Pharma Ivory Coast Park, which integrates drug research and development, manufacturing, and logistics distribution, is being intensively constructed near Abidjan, the largest city in Ivory Coast, West Africa. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by 2025 and will mainly produce anti malaria drugs and antibiotics.
In addition to drugs, medical equipment is also urgently needed in Africa. Last March, the Fukai Medical (Kenya) factory invested and constructed by Chinese enterprises was officially put into operation in the Tatu Industrial Park in Kenya, mainly producing disposable surgical gowns and trauma care products.
During the COVID-19, BGI built “Huoyan” laboratories in Ethiopia, Angola, Gabon, Togo, Tanzania and other countries, which were jointly operated by Chinese and African technicians to identify virus strains and detect nucleic acid samples, contributing to the epidemic resistance in Africa. Last year, BGI also carried out a cervical cancer screening project in Rwanda to help reduce the incidence rate and mortality of cervical cancer.
Teaching people how to fish has broad prospects
To achieve localization of pharmaceutical production, talent cultivation is a necessary step. We have signed a cooperation agreement with local universities to select pharmacy students to intern and receive training at member companies. After they return to China, they will work in the Ivory Coast industrial park, “said Su Li, Vice President of Fosun Pharma. The park is expected to bring nearly 1000 job opportunities to the Greater Bassam region and effectively promote the development of Ivory Coast’s pharmaceutical industry.
In the factory of Sansheng Pharmaceutical located in the Eastern Industrial Park of Ethiopia, modern production lines operate in an orderly manner, and African employees wear uniforms to operate machines meticulously, configure and inspect drugs. Alemu had worked in the local pharmaceutical industry for many years before joining Sansheng. He believed that the advanced pharmaceutical technology and process flow of Chinese enterprises had further improved his professional abilities and provided a good platform for career development.
Jiang Zhiwen introduced that currently Sansheng has about 300 local employees. Newly graduated students need to undergo specialized training and pass the assessment before they can start working in the company, which has also cultivated a group of talents for Ethiopia’s basic pharmaceutical industry and health system
At the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation held in September last year, China announced ten partnership actions with Africa to jointly promote modernization in the next three years. Among them, the “Health Partnership Action” proposed to promote Chinese enterprises to invest in drug production and provide assistance to Africa within their capabilities.
In August last year, China Enterprise Africa Biochemical Company signed a contract with the government of Zanzibar, Tanzania, focusing on the research and production of innovative drugs and vaccines for common and new infectious diseases in Africa; In September, Jiangsu Aidi Pharmaceutical, China Africa Development Fund, Nanjing Yaoshi Technology, and Nigeria Feisen Pharmaceutical jointly signed a memorandum of cooperation to promote the construction of a new joint venture pharmaceutical factory project in Nigeria.
Last October, Jijia (Beijing) International Medical Technology Co., Ltd. signed a memorandum of understanding with Zambia Industrial Development Corporation to cooperate in the construction of a cholera vaccine production plant. Zambian President Hicklema stated at the signing ceremony that cooperation in the field of public health is an important manifestation of the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind. Building a vaccine factory not only enhances Zambia’s public health capacity and prevents and controls infectious diseases, but also benefits neighboring countries and promotes regional economic and social development.
From physiological saline to vaccines, from drugs to equipment, from devices to technology… Chinese enterprises are playing an increasingly important role in China Africa medical and health cooperation, significantly enhancing the drug production capacity of African countries, reducing import dependence, and cultivating pharmaceutical talents. More cooperation projects will continue to be promoted in the future.