The first pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Burkina Faso, which specializes in the production of generic medications, was visited on Tuesday by Prime Minister Albert Ouédraogo.
According to its proponents, the Propharm factory, which was built by Burkinabe private sector actors and is situated on 1.5 hectares in the commune of Komsilga, outside the capital Ouagadougou, will guarantee “constant supply of the most desired pharmaceuticals.”
According to Propharm’s general manager, Armel Coéfé, the facility has been approved by a private Spanish organization and will soon begin manufacturing paracetamol 500 mg, phloroglucinol, an antispasmodic, as well as a “kit of oral rehydration salts and zinc, for the treatment of diarrhea.”
The list of molecules to be created will expand, especially “with the production of medications for the treatment of malaria,” he continued, noting that “our production capacity, at present, matches the local requirement and solves the problem of drastic rupture.”
“This is an essential plant, insofar as it will help make medicines more affordable for our population,” said Prime Minister Albert Ouédraogo. “These difficulties were significant during the Covid-19 era, and everyone understood the importance of expanding local pharmaceutical manufacture,” he continued. Additionally, it is a locally owned business, which supports the growth of a robust economy.
In order to secure the marketing authorizations in the upcoming months, the manufacturer is reportedly finishing up the last phase, the National Agency for Pharmaceutical Regulation’s inspection of the batches produced.
