TEHRAN – Iranian and Afghan officials discussed ways to boost cooperation between the two countries in the pharmaceutical and medical device fields.
In a meeting held on Thursday, Food and Drug Administration Director-General Mehdi Pir Salehi and Afghan Director-General Malawi Hamdullah Zahid drafted a memorandum of understanding (MOU) highlighting the need for enhanced technical and regulatory cooperation in the food, drug and medical device sectors, ISNA reported.
Officials met on the sidelines of the Afghanistan Health Exhibition held in Kabul from December 2 to 4.
Representatives of Iranian and Afghan companies attending the meeting also raised issues regarding medical product registration, license issuance schedules, and the import process for medicines and medical devices.
40 Iranian knowledge-based companies are participating in the Afghanistan Health Exhibition. Mr. Pir Salehi visited the Iran pavilion at the exhibition and supported Iran.
The three-day event provided a valuable platform for knowledge-based companies to showcase the latest products and achievements in the healthcare field. They also sought to establish a permanent presence in the Afghan market.
Self-sufficiency in pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
Health Minister Mohammad Reza Zafarkandi said that the production and self-sufficiency of medicines and medical equipment in these regions is one of the government’s priorities.
He said medicines and medical devices are two important areas related to people’s health, adding: “We are trying to achieve self-sufficiency in the supply of medicines and medical devices,” IRNA reported.
On January 13, the chairman of the Federation of Iranian Medical Equipment Manufacturers and Exporters said that approximately $20 million worth of medical equipment is exported to more than 60 countries annually.
IRNA quoted Abdulreza Yaqubzadeh as saying that more than 70% of medical equipment and 100% of regular hospital beds are domestically produced.
He added that more than 95% of certain ICU and CCU beds and more than 85% of operating room medical equipment such as anesthesia machines and other equipment are manufactured with cutting-edge technology in the country.
Yakubzadeh went on to say that the country’s medical equipment production needs are between $3 billion and $4 billion annually, of which about $1 billion is imported.
Approximately 600 medical device companies operate in the country, producing approximately 99 percent of the medicines supplied to the domestic market.
Domestic medical device manufacturers produce more than 10,000 types of medical devices and supply them to domestic and international markets. Today, a wide variety of laboratory equipment is manufactured at much lower prices than the same foreign products.
MT/MG