KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) says the share of domestically produced medicines and health products has risen to more than 40 percent, as efforts continue to expand the pharmaceutical sector and reduce reliance on imports.
In a statement, the ministry said Mawlavi Hamdullah Zahid, deputy minister for food and medicine, stressed support for local production, quality improvement and the implementation of international standards during a consultative meeting with representatives of 22 pharmaceutical and health product manufacturing factories.
It said the meeting was attended by industry officials, technical advisers and representatives of manufacturing companies.
Discussions focused on the state of the pharmaceutical sector, expansion of production capacity, reducing import dependence and achieving self-sufficiency in essential medicines.
Zahid said obtaining Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification and standardising domestic production were key to boosting consumer confidence and enabling local products to compete in domestic and international markets.
The ministry added that factory production capacity was assessed during the meeting and products suitable for local manufacturing were identified.
Factory representatives welcomed government support, saying domestic production has increased from less than five percent in previous years to over 40 percent of the country’s medicine and health products market, and expressed confidence in meeting a significant share of national demand.
kk/sa
