Bloom Public Health Botswana team visits ⁠MDB Pharma to establish a strategic partnership with MDB Pharma to support the growth, development, and regional expansion of Botswana’s pharmaceutical sector.

In line with Bloom’s commitment to building strategic partnerships that strengthen public health in Africa, the Managing Director of Bloom Public Health #Botswana, Joseph Mthetwa, paid a courtesy visit to MDB Pharma in Botswana in December 2022. The #BloomPublicHealthBotswana team comprising the Managing Director, Joseph Mthetwa; Pharmacoeconomic Consultant, Mr Seth Akweshie; and IT and Innovation Consultant, Mr. Kow Gharty-Tagoe, were hosted by the MDB Pharma Management team, ably led by the Managing Director, Dr. Thato Kgosimotho, along with Mr. Gilbert Sekgophana, Quality Assurance Manager; Mr. Solomon Madzivire, Production Manager; Mr. Phenyo Kafikwa, Quality Control Executive; and Mr. Otlaadisa Maruamoame, Engineering Manager. In his introductory remarks, the MD, #BloomBotswana, Joseph Mthetwa commended Dr. Thato Kgosimotho for the successful establishment of a Pharmaceutical Technology Transfer Plant in #Tlokweng, Botswana which is supplying tablets and capsules of Paracetamol, Amoxicillin, and ARVs, amongst other generic products required by the pharmaceuticals market in Botswana. He noted that this will contribute significantly to disease control and save millions of lives in Botswana and within the SADC Region. Reiterating this, Mr. Seth Akweshie acknowledged that #MDBPharma had taken a major step in addressing the pharmaceutical needs of Botswana and the SADC region. He advised MDB Pharma to aspire to supply a larger SADC and African market in the context of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). Dr. Thato Kgosimotho, MD, MDB Pharma stated that as a new entrant into the pharma industry in Botswana and having been accredited by the Botswana Medicines Regulatory Agency (BOMRA) as a frontline pharmaceutical provider, MDB Pharma will be actively involved in producing millions of doses of Amoxicillin packaged in blister packs and appropriately labelled bottles for use in Botswana. Dr. Thato Kgosimotho further expressed their interest in collaborating with Bloom Public Health Botswana to facilitate the development and growth of MDB Pharma in fast-tracking implementation of the GMP training of its staff, and support to secure production machinery such as desiccant inserter, tablet compression, conveyor belts, HPLC, bottle cleaning machine, which are currently lacking in the MDB laboratories. In response, Joseph Mthetwa stated that Bloom Public Health was determined to collaborate with MDB Pharma in mobilising resources to support the growth and development of the pharma industry in Africa. He further advised MDB Pharma to strive to participate in Health and Pharmaceutical Policy development facilitated by the Ministry of Health to ensure they remain relevant in the pharmaceutical supply chain and in national pharmaceutical mitigation programmes.