Tunisia has taken strategic measures to strengthen its autonomy in the pharmaceutical sector. A recent working meeting held at the Ministry of Health resulted in a series of decisions aimed at accelerating the licensing procedures for medicines, ensuring their rapid availability on the market.
These decisions include enhancing export opportunities, expanding regional partnerships to position Tunisia as a pharmaceutical hub, and digitizing the sector to ensure transparency and smooth distribution.
Present at the meeting, Health Minister Mustapha Ferjani emphasized the directives of the President of the Republic, which aim to achieve pharmaceutical sovereignty, boost local production, and rely on national expertise to ensure health security.
The meeting brought together representatives from the National Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (CNIP) as well as directors of structures involved in the pharmaceutical sector.
The adopted measures also include encouraging investments in pharmaceutical industries, supporting new laboratories, and revising price compensation mechanisms to protect the competitiveness of local manufacturers. These initiatives reflect the nation’s commitment to achieving true health autonomy, aiming to meet citizens’ needs and reduce dependence on foreign imports.
Over 20% of Medicines Produced in Tunisia Are Exported
More than 20% of medicines manufactured in Tunisia are exported to numerous countries, including Libya, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, according to Nadia Fenina, Director General of the Investment and Export Promotion Unit for Health Services at the Ministry of Health.
In a recent statement to the media on the sidelines of the first International Days of Generic Medicines and Biosimilars held in Tunis, Fenina revealed that the value of these exports ranges between 250 and 300 million dinars. “The goal is to reach 1.4 billion dinars within four years,” she noted.
Fenina emphasized that this target was set based on the results of a strategic study, which demonstrated that through the implementation of certain measures—such as reducing the time required for market authorization, adjusting prices, and strengthening communication—it will be possible to promote medicine exports.
In this context, she highlighted that most medicines produced in Tunisia are generics, which account for 70% of transactions, in addition to biosimilars that are also exported.
According to Fenina, Tunisia possesses the necessary expertise and skills to promote investment and exports in the pharmaceutical sector.
It is worth noting that Tunisia produces 3,168 generic medicines and 46 biosimilars, according to Abderrazak Hedhili, Director General of the National Medicines Agency.
A market worth $1.69 billion
The size of Tunisia’s pharmaceutical market was estimated at $1.69 billion in 2021, and total revenue is expected to grow by 12.9% between 2022 and 2029, reaching nearly $4.47 billion. This was reported by the website “Maximisemarketsearch” in a recent overview of the Tunisian pharmaceutical market.
According to the same source, “Tunisia is one of the few countries in Africa with a pharmaceutical sector equipped with sophisticated management and advanced technologies, both in terms of quality and product safety.
Local production of generic medicines accounts for approximately 49%, while imports make up about 51%. Tunis is home to around 39 pharmaceutical companies in the region.”
