This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.
Last Published: 5/15/2019

Overview

The public pharmaceutical sector is supplied by the Pharmaceutical Purchasing Centre (CPA), which has been operational since December 1996.  The CPA ensures proper coordination and better management of the supply of essential medicines in the public sector. It is administered by a nine-member Management Committee consisting of two representatives of the State (appointed), four representatives of development partners (elected) and 3 representatives of health centers management committees (elected). It is financed by credit from the World Bank worth 4.8 million US dollars.
For several years, the GOC has been regularizing the pharmaceutical sector, which has heretofore seen unregulated products of inferior quality, and sometimes counterfeit products, often sold in the informal economy.  A mission composed of three multidisciplinary teams coordinated by the General Inspectorate of the Ministry of Health checks the regularity of medical establishments, including pharmacies, vis-à-vis the regulations. The results of the monitoring mission have shown that many of the private health facilities sometimes work without qualified personnel or without authorization from the Ministry of Public Health.

The lack of strength of current legislation facilitates the development of the illicit activity (there are currently only two laws pertaining to pharmacies in Chad: Law 24/PR/2000 on pharmacies and Ordinance 10/PR/1991 on the creation of a pharmacists union). There is a need to draft appropriate legislation that clearly defines the production, sale, and distribution of counterfeit medical products and sets strong penalties. Drugs dispensed in some institutions come from different therapeutic classes and all are sold in drug stores. Of the 286 private health facilities monitored, 106 were illegal: 88 were permanently closed and the other 18 ordered to regularize their situation before reopening. In 2018, a new inspection of health care facilities and pharmacies revealed inadequate operating conditions. The mission recommended the closure of 10 additional health care centers, 21 pharmacies and 4 medical clinics.

Only physicians may establish pharmacies or medical offices, by law. Chad has about fifty trained pharmacists of which more than half are located in the capital. With an estimated population of over 15 million people, the ratio is one pharmacist for 300,000 inhabitants, compared to the international standard of one pharmacist to 20,000 inhabitants. In addition to the accessibility of pharmaceuticals, there are serious problems with refrigeration as pharmacies struggle to maintain their products in the face of power cuts. According to the president of the College of Pharmacists of Chad, there is a need for the construction of a drug manufacturing plant in Chad.

The importation of medical equipment to Chad is regulated by the Ministry of Public Health. There are a limited number of private hospitals operating in Chad, and most medical equipment importation is managed through the Ministry of Public Health’s Directorate of Pharmacies and Laboratories to ensure compliance to quality standards.
 

 

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Total Local Production

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Total Exports

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Total Imports

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Imports from the US
 

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Total Market Size

 

 

 

 

Exchange Rates

 

 

 

 

(total market size = (total local production + imports) - exports)

Leading Sub-Sectors

Leading sub-sectors in wholesale trade/pharmaceuticals include: pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.

Opportunities

The CPA regularly solicits contracts for the purchase of pharmaceuticals, often in the international press.  It would welcome bids from U.S. pharmaceutical companies and suppliers, but has yet to receive any responses.  There are also opportunities to supply local and regional pharmacies directly. 

Web Resources

Ministry of Public Health

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