Business
How Africa Can Take Charge of Its Drug and Vaccine Supplies
The CEO of Moroccan pharmaceutical manufacturer Sothema outlines what’s needed for a homegrown industry on the continent.
A lab technician at Sothema in Morocco.
Source: SothemaThis article is for subscribers only.
African countries depend on foreign suppliers for as much as 90% of their drugs and 99% of their vaccines, a situation that created widespread shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A robust homegrown industry would help Africa ensure adequate supplies of critical treatments, according to Lamia Tazi, chief executive officer of Société de Thérapeutique Marocaine, Morocco’s biggest pharmaceutical company. Known as Sothema, the drugmaker produces medications through licenses from major pharma companies as well as some of its own compounds.