Balkh Signs $5 Million Drug Import Deal with Uzbekistan to Address Medicine Shortages
Officials from the Balkh Province Wholesale Drug Union announced that contracts worth five million dollars have been signed with reputable companies in Uzbekistan to supply part of Afghanistan’s pharmaceutical needs. According to them, these agreements can cover between 20 to 50 percent of Afghanistan’s drug market demand.
Representatives of this union, who traveled to Uzbekistan as a delegation of 40 merchants, stated that they visited several drug manufacturing factories. Mohammad Sadiq Mohammadi, head of the Balkh Wholesale Drug Union, said these factories meet acceptable production standards and are capable of exporting to Afghanistan.
Some drug producers and importers in Balkh have also supported this initiative, emphasizing that the products made in Uzbekistan comply with global standards and can play a crucial role in alleviating current shortages. Ahmad Jawad Bakhtari, a drug importer, said that the companies with whom contracts were signed have completed international certifications such as GMP and CUP.
Meanwhile, several representatives of domestic manufacturing companies have called for enabling the production of combination drugs inside the country. Mohammad Nasim Ayubi, a representative of a manufacturing company, said that if permission is granted to produce certain combination medicines domestically, existing capacities could contribute more significantly to meeting community needs.
Previously, the Ministry of Public Health under the Taliban administration had announced that a delegation from the Food and Drug Deputy Ministry met with officials from Uzbekistan’s Medical and Pharmaceutical Industry Regulation Department. According to the ministry, both sides emphasized facilitating the drug registration process, implementing necessary standards, and increasing the trade of health products between the two countries.
