Staff Reporter :
Despite four months having passed since the initiative was taken to develop the pharmaceutical raw materials or Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) industry, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has yet to determine any effective course of action.
Although a report on the matter was supposed to be finalised by September, it has still not seen the light of day.
Relevant officials disclosed this information at the second meeting of the Ministry’s “API Sector Development Committee” held last Monday. The meeting was chaired by Health Secretary Saidur Rahman.
Officials at the meeting said that formulating an effective action plan for a crucial sector like the API industry requires long and detailed discussions.
To this end, a day-long meeting involving representatives from both the public and private sectors, along with experts, is planned within the current month.
The government formed an 11-member committee on August 17 to develop the API industry.
The committee was tasked with preparing and submitting a report to the Cabinet Division by September 17. However, even after four months beyond the deadline, the committee has failed to submit the report. No specific roadmap has yet been finalised.
The keynote paper at the meeting was presented by Professor Dr Syed Abdul Hamid of the Institute of Health Economics, University of Dhaka.
He said that nearly 90 percent of the pharmaceutical raw materials used in the country are currently imported, with a large portion coming from China and India.
As a result, during global crises or geopolitical instability, the supply of life-saving medicines comes under serious threat. This reality became even more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Hamid noted that this is not merely an industrial issue but also a matter of national health security.
If API production can be initiated in the country through joint public and private efforts, it would be possible to save around USD 1.3 billion in foreign exchange annually.
According to the plan, the target is to reduce API imports from USD 2.5 billion to USD 300 million by 2030.
At the same time, there is potential to earn USD 5 billion in export revenue from this sector by 2035.
The global pharmaceutical market is expected to reach between USD 420 billion and USD 600 billion over the next decade.
If Bangladesh can capture just 10 percent of this market, the contribution of the API sector to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) could be around 9 to 10 percent.
Speaking at the meeting, Health Secretary Saidur Rahman said that an effective action plan is urgently needed to produce pharmaceutical raw materials domestically.
He expressed hope that another day-long meeting would be held within the current month and that, after incorporating stakeholders’ opinions, a report would be prepared within the month.
