Meeting Standards Increases Safety and Export Potential

In order to make companies more competitive and increase their standards of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) to internationally accepted levels, the Engineering Capacity Building Program (ecbp) has been working closely with the pharmaceutical industry in Ethiopia for the past two and half years. As a result, the first pharmaceutical company, SINO-ETHIOP ASSOCIATE (AFRICA) P.L.C., has received official international GMP certification as per Pharmaceutical Inspection Cooperation Scheme (PIC/S) conformity.

Science and Technology Minister, His Excellency Juneydi Sado commented at the certification ceremony that the issuance of the certificate to Sino-Ethiop is a great success for the country.

His Excellency, Juneydi Sado, Minister of Science and Technology, congratulates Zafu Gebretsadik, the Managing Director of Sino-Ethiop, as he hands over the GMP certificate of PIC/S conformity.

 

This PIC/S conformity certification will improve the pharmaceutical industry in Ethiopia. As part of the certification process a number of German senior experts in the field provided hands-on trainings and consultation to the local companies, upgrading their GMP standards and qualifying them for PIC/S certification.

The GMP system is designed to minimize the risks involved in any pharmaceutical production that cannot be eliminated through testing the final product. Most importantly, this certification will ensure that products are being produced with high quality in a safe and effective production system in this factory.

Sino-Ethiop is now certified according to Good Manufacturing Practices, meaning that their products are produced using procedures which guarantee their safety.

 

With this certification, companies will also be able to export their products to the global market. Pharmaceutical production has shown rapid growth in the past years. The total pharmaceutical sales reached more than $602 billion. But the sector is dominated by a very small number of big companies located in few countries. This quality assurance through GMP and PIC/S helps to boost pharmaceutical export opportunities for companies, giving them access to larger international markets, as most countries will only accept import of medicines that have been manufactured to internationally recognized GMP.

According to Zafu Gebretsadik, the Managing Director of Sino-Ethiop, the certification will enable the company to be competitive in the world market.

Zafu Gebretsadik, the Managing Director of Sino-Ethiop, shows the certificate which will open the international pharmaceutical market to the company.

 

Increased export opportunities can also lead to increased production and therefore more jobs for Ethiopians in the future.

Sino-Ethiop Associate (Africa) P.L.C, the first exemplary company to be certified in Ethiopia, invested a great deal of time and resources to get this certificate. Currently Sino–Ethiop exports its products to African and Middle Eastern countries. In addition, they have fully replaced the need for imports of hard gelatine capsules by supplying the local market. ecbp is encouraging other Ethiopian companies to also follow the steps taken by Sino-Ethiop and work on upgrading their production system to meet the GMP standard.