JUNE 2011
Issue 03
Times unido
Partner for Prosperity
CONTENTS
02 News and features 04 Special feature: partnering for
pro-poor supplier development
07 Partnering for prosperity with knowledge management
08 Regional focus: project summaries
from UNIDO’s regional programmes
13 South-South focus geothermal energy and metrology
14 Research, policy and statistics Pharmaceuticals.
Photo: istockphoto.com/José Moraes
UNIDO emphasizes Pharmaceutical development at recent events Strengthening pharmaceutical industries in developing countries and economies in tran sition has the potential to deliver progress on a number of fronts, by improving health outcomes while spurring economic growth. Forming part of its ongoing work to foster local pharmaceutical production, UNIDO has recently made critical contributions to a number of events on this topic. Conference of African Ministers of Industry (CAMI 19), Algiers, 27-31 March Questioning the role of African pharmaceu tical industries was at the heart of the dis cussions on improving access to essential medicines at an event UNIDO organized during the CAMI. The topic was in response to a request from the Government of Algeria, the current chair of CAMI, and was elaborated upon during the conference. Policymakers, regulators, development practitioners and pharmaceutical produ cers from several African countries, shared insights on the sector’s potential to increase access to drugs in Africa beyond the three greatest pandemics (HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis).
During the conference, particular attention was paid to the needs of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa (PMPA), adopted by African Heads of State in 2007. Disconnects observed between the public health and industrial development per spectives resulted in explicit recommenda tions to support the revision of the PMPA and the incorporation of business development considerations in a modified action plan. In addition, the pharmaceuti cal industry was newly included as a prio rity sector in the implementation strategy of the Accelerated Industrial Development for Africa (AIDA) initiative. International conference in Cape Town, 4-6 April UNIDO, UNCTAD and the German Development Cooperation (GIZ, BMZ) came together in Cape Town for a threeday international conference on local pharmaceutical production in Africa. The organizations reviewed the progress and lessons learned during the implementation of a number of development cooperation projects geared at fostering local pharma ceutical production. (continued on page 2)
15 Management issues: change
management and staff changes
16 Forthcoming events and new publications
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