Business Partnerships are an important tool to promote the pharmaceutical industry in Africa

ADDIS ABABA, 4-5 June 2012- As part of the African Union-UNIDO Conference on Economic Diversification and Mnaufacturing in Africa a special session was hosted on "Technology and Investment for Africa's Pharma Industry: Making Partnerships Work". Around 70 participants from at least 15 African countries actively engaged in the discussions.

The session set out to:

• Raise awareness of the recent adoption by the Conference of African  Ministers of Health of the Business Plan for the or accelerated implementation of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa (PMPA)
• Highlight/illustrate the need for synergies and multiple strategic (business) partnerships for the successful implementation of the business plan as one of six pillars of key intervention
• Discuss/review partnership opportunities towards increasing medicines production in Africa (investment, technology transfer, innovation/R&D, contract manufacturing, etc.)
• Gain insights into facilitating and constraining factors for stimulating business partnerships and linkages with/within Africa on pharma manufacturing