Pharmaceutical Market Overview in Kenya

Pharmaceutical innovators are expanding therapeutic areas in chronic and life style
diseases as well as creating significant opportunities for growth within the Kenyan
pharmaceutical industry. Although infectious diseases are still responsible for the
largest burden of disease in Kenya, non-communicable diseases are becoming a
major problem, with the incidence of type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and
cancer increasing rapidly.

The Pharmaceutical Industry in Kenya was estimated at $208.6 million in 2007 and
estimates this to reach US$557.8 million in 2014.

The lack of stringent control measures has also led to the continued presence of
counterfeit and substandard medications in the Kenyan market. However, stricter
enforcement of regulations, growth of the generic pharmaceuticals market and
expansion of public treatment programmes will fuel future growth of the
pharmaceutical industry.

Diabetes Market In Kenya

Prevalence:

The prevalence of diabetes is reported to be between 6 and 10 per cent, and an

estimated 3.5 million people suffer from diabetes in Kenya. The number of diagnosed
cases in 2007 was over 2 million, of which approximately 1.8 million were reported to
be type II diabetics.

This heightened prevalence of type II diabetes is due to rapid changes in culture, an

aging population, increasing urbanisation, dietary changes and the rise of sedentary
lifestyles.

Market Overview:

The anti-diabetic pharmaceutical market in Kenya was estimated at US$18.0 million

in 2007 and is projected to reach US$29.0 million in 2014.”

Government initiatives:

The Kenyan Ministry of Health is currently implementing a comprehensive control

programme for diabetes. Part of this treatment programme consists of raising
awareness on the symptoms of diabetes and mobilising the population to visit
diabetes clinics. This would ultimately improve the ratio of diagnosed cases, fuelling
the growth of anti-diabetic treatments.

Various sources and reports suggest that around 39 main clinics and 113 mini clinics
have been set up by the DMI and MoH in recent years. However, there remains a
pressing need to provide good quality but affordable anti-diabetic medication to
these clinics as well as to private hospitals.

A key restraint in this market is, however, the prevailing poverty and illiteracy in
Kenya. The population also has limited access to health facilities. This has led to 42.6
per cent of diabetic cases being undiagnosed, and hence, left untreated, causing
these patients to develop secondary complications.

Source: Frost and Sullivan

 ManasRanjan Rout

healthcaremanas@in.com

Nairobi, Kenya