Mozambique: Pharmaceutical factories produce a billion tablets a year – study

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Mozambique: Pharmaceutical factories produce a billion tablets a year – study

8:57 CAT | 01 Aug 2025

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: ABC - Agência Brasileira de Cooperação]

Mozambican factories producing medicines and other medical products manufacture around one billion tablets annually, according to a study by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) carried out in the country.

The conference presented the data at the international conference on local production of medicines and health products, which ends today, as part of the Mozambique International Health Expo (MIH Expo-24), organised by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (Anarme).

INFARMA – Indústria Farmacêutica and Fábrica Nacional de Medicamentos (FNM), based in the country, produces this quantity of drugs and employs around 300 people, according to IFC data.

‘Although the Mozambican pharmaceutical industry is still in its infancy, the country has established production capacities for various pharmaceutical products, including oral solids, medical gases, medical devices, disinfectants and antiseptics,’ according to the study conducted in 2024.

The same study indicates that the country has the potential to expand its local pharmaceutical production capacity, including the production of vaccines and ancillary products such as packaging and excipients.

“To support the growth of the local industry and promote self-sufficiency, it is essential to boost domestic demand for locally produced products and create export opportunities, taking advantage of ongoing regional integration efforts,” advises the IFC.

READ: FNM presents success story of medicine production in Mozambique

Mozambique: Government wants 30% cut in foreign medicine dependence by 2030

While acknowledging that the country has the potential to move forward with large-scale local pharmaceutical production, stakeholders identify financing for these initiatives as “a critical issue.”

“The local manufacturing sector needs more skilled labour. Local manufacturing companies report that they use foreign labour to train local workers,” the document states, which also lists instability in energy supply and poor water quality for pharmaceutical production as challenges for the local drug industry, which increases production costs.

The IFC highlights the need to strengthen controls so that only genuine products circulate in Mozambique’s pharmaceutical market.

According to the study, demand for healthcare products in Mozambique will grow, with global spending reaching $1.3 billion (€1.1 billion) in 2038, due to population growth and advances in the local pharmaceutical industry.

The IFC recommends strengthening quality control laboratories to test various products and ensure the circulation of drugs of acceptable quality in the country.

The study recommends “actions and reforms to strengthen market regulation, promote the development of quality industrial infrastructure for pharmaceutical products, invest in good transport and logistics networks, develop specific incentives for local pharmaceutical production, provide credit lines to support operations, and educate and attract human talent to the industry.”

Mozambique’s government aims to reduce its dependence on foreign medicines by 30% by 2030, allocating 1% of its annual health budget to promoting scientific research and encouraging local production of drugs.

In anticipation of the event, Mozambican President Daniel Chapo said that the government is working with domestic and foreign investors and researchers to ensure local drug production and increase self-sufficiency.

According to the organisers, MIH Expo-24 “is a comprehensive platform to present a unified international effort to strengthen health systems against climate-related risks, while promoting initiatives that drive the sector towards net zero environmental impact”.

The event, which ended yesterday, brought together in Maputo key international stakeholders in the sector, policy makers, professionals, and innovators to facilitate knowledge exchange, share best practices, and showcase cutting-edge innovation in the region.

Source: Lusa