Ismail Salam, Egypt’s Minister of Health, has recently asserted that the Egyptian pharmaceutical market was stable. He stressed that prices were reasonable. Salam said that 55 percent of all drugs do not exceed the price of $1.18. He added that average price of drugs in Egypt does not reach more than $1.5, whereas in the Arab world as a whole, drugs are priced at about $4.5.
In his campaign to provide help to the majority of the population and not prevent any citizen from getting the medicine he needs, Salam promised to register any drug that had been proven efficient in its original location. He assured all the people that in times of need, Egypt would provide medical assistance either in Egypt or abroad.
The Minister was proud to announce that Egyptian drug companies cover 93 percent of the local consumption. He added that during the last five years, consumption of drugs in Egypt has reached a total of five billion Egyptian pounds ($ 1.18 billion). He noted that the local number of drug manufacturers has also multiplied over the same time.
Salam was also happy to announce that new production lines had been introduced to the market, in which quality was of top priority. — (Mena Report)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
