$22m Egyptian Aid For Sierra Leone

President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah was guest of President Hosni Mubarak of the Republic of Egypt for the 13th meeting of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) at Sharm El Sheik, Egypt. Whilst in Cairo, he was invited to visit the Egyptian Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccine (VACSERA), where he was received by the Minister of Health Dr. Mohamed Awad Tag El Deen and the Head of VASCERA, Dr. Mohamed Ala Bady.

In his welcome address, the Head of VACSERA, Dr. Ala Bady, gave an overview of the scope and activities of the company. He said that VACSERA comprises a wide range of units each of which deals with a separate aspect of health care. He emphasized that VACSERA was concerned with the production of drugs for the treatment of malaria, cholera, HIV, TB and diabetes. As head of VACSERA, he donated anti-malaria and cholera drugs as a first step.

The Minister of Health, in his contribution revealed a $22m project for Sierra Leone with different phases of investment in the pharmaceutical field. He maintained that the investment involves the construction of an 11,000 sq.m complex which will support the pharmaceutical field in Sierra Leone by providing up-to-date manufacturing of drugs related to the treatment of TB, HIV, Malaria, Cholera and Diabetes. He added that this will create an opportunity for manpower training, technology transfer and expansion of marketing.

President Kabbah, in response, expressed profound gratitude and appreciation to the Egyptian government for the invitation to VACSERA. He pledged his government's support to the VACSERA investments in Sierra Leone. He said that this will help in alleviating the pharmaceutical needs of not only Sierra Leone but also the sub-region. He used the opportunity to give an overview of government's effort in upgrading the medical sector in Sierra Leone. The establishment of the medical and paramedical schools and the implementation of various vaccination programmes at different times at different levels, to name but a few, are examples of such effort.

He thanked them for the project proposal and the donation of malaria and cholera drugs which he said will be distributed to those in dire need of the drugs. A team from Egypt is expected shortly in Freetown to kick-start the construction works for the complex.

President Kabbah and entourage were then taken on a conducted tour of the facilities of VACSERA, the highlight of which was an exhibition of the various drugs produced by the company.

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