Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05DJIBOUTI477
2005-05-18 10:20:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Djibouti
Cable title:  

DJI-PHARMA, DJIBOUTI'S PHARMACEUTICAL FACTORY

Tags:  ETRD ECON EFIN EAID PGOV DJ TC 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000477 

SIPDIS

STATE PLEASE PASS TO DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD ECON EFIN EAID PGOV DJ TC
SUBJECT: DJI-PHARMA, DJIBOUTI'S PHARMACEUTICAL FACTORY

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000477

SIPDIS

STATE PLEASE PASS TO DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD ECON EFIN EAID PGOV DJ TC
SUBJECT: DJI-PHARMA, DJIBOUTI'S PHARMACEUTICAL FACTORY


1. (U) Summary: President Guelleh recently inaugurated Dji-
Pharma, a government owned pharmaceutical plant. Dji-
Pharma, engineered by the French firm "Ingenerie
Pharmaceutique Modulaire," plans to fulfill all the needs
of the country in the four mostly used intravenous
perfusions in Djibouti hospitals. Djibouti's investment in
the project totals USD 4.237 million. End Summary.


2. (U) Members of diplomatic missions, the business
community, representatives of international organizations,
high government officials and representatives of the U.S.
and French military were invited to the inauguration of
Djibouti's first government-owned pharmaceutical plant.
The "Organisme de Protection Sociale" (OPS),a governmental
agency providing retirement, medical services, family
allowances and care for injured employees, will operate
Dji-Pharma. The Director of OPS explained that his
institution was charged by the government to put in place a
local production unit of intravenous products. By 2002
contacts were made with the French firm "Ing_ierie
Pharmaceutique Modulaire" (IPM),a subsidiary of ROMACO
Group followed by an OPS investment of DF Million 750 (US
Million 4.237) towards the project. IPM assembled and
tested the plant in France before sending it to Djibouti
where it is housed in a building located at the Port Free
Zone. IPM also trained two pharmacists and two technicians
to run the laboratory. An additional twenty people will
assist these four senior employees. A total of 10 persons
will be dedicated to the production unit. Experts from
ROMACO will train Dji-Pharma staff on the job for one
month. Quality control will be monitored by ROMACO for the
first month of production, after which the Djiboutian
experts will take over. ROMACO, will however make regular
subsequent visits to Djibouti to validate the production.


3. (U) At the initial stage, four products will be
manufactured: intravenous Sodium Chloride 0.9%, Glucose 5%,
Glucose 10% and Ringer Lactate. All these products are
made in accordance with both European and U.S.
pharmaceutical standards. The products are contained in
small and flexible bags of 500 ml, which make them easy for
transportation and handling. Up to twenty products,
including generic drugs, are expected to be manufactured at
a later stage. During the first year of operation, Dji-
Pharma will produce 750,000 bags to supply local needs
(around 500,000) and sell the remaining products in sub-
regional or COMESA markets. The majority of intravenous
products are currently imported from France. The cost of
Dji-Pharma products reportedly will average the current
cost of intravenous products in Djibouti but be of the
highest quality.


4. (U) In his speech inaugurating the plant, President
Guelleh stressed the importance of taking good care of the
new equipment. He added that the OPS made an excellent
choice in selecting these initial products because they
were very critical for emergency care. He continued by
saying that Dji-Pharma was a big step in giving autonomy to
Djiboutian health care in its need for pharmaceutical
products. In his turn, the Minister of Labor, who controls
OPS, went further by saying that Dji-Pharma was in line
with the President's program of self-sufficiency. The
Minister reiterated that OPS paid for the full investment
with no foreign assistance. All the raw products are ready
and the IPM technicians are making last preparations for
Dji-Pharma to start production in a couple of months.

RAGSDALE