Launching a new regional association to promote access to medicines in Africa

CAPE TOWN, 4 April 2011 - On the occasion of its public launch, The Southern African Generic Medicines Association (SAGMA), together with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), were hosting a half day high visibility event.

The around 100 participants witnessed two multi-faceted panel discussions seeking answers to a lead question: “The African Union's Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa - Pipe dream or Panacea?”. Following keynote addresses by top representatives from UNAIDS and the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) speakers from the industry and a range of development partners called for a better alignment of health and industrial development agendas to fully exploit the potentially beneficial role of a pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in the region for economic development and improved health outcomes alike.

SAGMA is a membership based organization committed to the creation of a vibrant and self-sustaining generic and pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Through its members SAGMA aims to achieve self-sufficiency and reliability in the local production and provision of affordable, efficacious, quality generic medicines in the SADC.

UNIDO has provided advisory and capacity building support towards the setup of SAGMA and committed to escort the early operational phase with additional inputs.

For more information please contact:

Juergen Reinhardt
UNIDO Project Manager
Phone: +43-1-26026-3405
E-mail: J.Reinhardt@unido.org