Equivalent generic medicines mean reliable affordable healthcare.

About Generics

About the EGA

The IGPA

Web Site Info

Afghanistan Generic Medicines Project

Afghanistan Medicines Development Project

In January 2002, the EGA established a new working group called Access to Medicines. Chaired by EGA president, Mr. Rory O’Riordan of Ireland, the group’s first humanitarian project is to develop infrastructure for the local production of essential generic medicines under the aegis of the Business Humanitarian Forum.

EGA - Access to Medicines

In January 2002, the EGA established a new working group called Access to Medicines. The group, chaired by the president of the EGA, Mr. Rory O’Riordan from Ireland, has been set up to offer meaningful and practical help in accessing medicines for countries that find themselves in difficult situations.

A country ravaged by war

Twenty-three years of conflict and political instability, a collapsed economy and three years of drought have severely damaged Afghanistan’s health system. In particular, the production and supply infrastructure is in a ruins. The Avicenna Pharmaceutical Institute (API), the institutional body in charge of local production of medicines and medical supplies in Afghanistan, is currently staffed by 90 people. This is an 88 percent decrease from the 750 employed in previous years. The API manufacturing facilities are currently not being used for production, as most of the machines and electrical wiring needed for production has been stolen or destroyed.

A critical shortage of essential medicines

Diseases — including acute respiratory illnesses, diarrhea, pneumonia and typhoid fever — continue to spread through the Afghani population. Many of these illnesses go untreated due to the lack of essential medicines like antibiotics. Medicines that are imported from Pakistan, India, and Malaysia are often held up in customs. And once they have passed that hurdle, the subsequent need for quality control testing of these medicines further complicates distribution.

The international community has begun to respond to the immediate need for essential medicines in recent months. The World Health Organization (WHO) has, for example, been distributing emergency health kits throughout Afghanistan. However, the challenges of sustainability and self-sufficiency remain, and these issues can only be addressed through rebuilding the medical sector infrastructure.

The EGA Access to Medicines Response

EGA’s Access to Medicines offers assistance in two ways: either by supplying products and materials at affordable prices or by assisting countries in developing their own manufacturing capacity. For Afghanistan, Access to Medicines has opted for supporting infrastructure development, rather than merely donating medicines as the former provides a sustainable contribution and fosters a sense of ownership within the local population.

Project Description

Under the aegis of the Business Humanitarian Forum, the EGA is engaged in building, equipping and training staff for a simple, direct tablet compression production facility with capacity for dispensing, compressing and packaging processes. The plant will consist of two direct compression machines, including simple packaging lines with a production capacity of 300 to 400 million tablets per year. Initial medicines production will consist of antibiotics and analgesics, but can be expanded to include other pharmaceuticals in the future. The plant will employ up to 40 people.

Project Aims

This project aims to improve the availability, quality and access to essential medicines through the installation of the drug production facility described above in Kabul, Afghanistan. By rebuilding the production capacity of the healthcare system, the project will also foster economic development and better the quality of life in the region.

Project Partners »