A NEW FROST AND SULLIVAN REPORT HAS REVEALED THAT INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC) COUNTRIES STILL PRESENT THE BIGGEST BURDEN OF DISEASE

INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC) COUNTRIES STILL PRESENT THE BIGGEST BURDEN OF DISEASE.

HOWEVER, URBANIZATION AND WESTERNIZED LIFESTYLES HAVE LED TO A RISE IN NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, ESPECIALLY IN COUNTRIES LIKE MAURITIUS, WHERE THEY ACCOUNT FOR A MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY'S DISEASE BURDEN.

ACCORDING TO A NEW  ANALYSIS FROM FROST & SULLIVAN, SADC PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY NOTES THAT INCREASED ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY TREATMENTS IS ESSENTIAL IN ALLEVIATING THE HEAVY BURDEN OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES WITHIN THE COUNTRY.

IT HAS OBSERVED THAT THE INDUSTRY IN MAURITIUS, MALAWI AND ZAMBIA, GENERATED REVENUES OF $228.7 MILLION IN 2009 AND ESTIMATES THIS TO REACH $439.6 MILLION IN 2016.

FROST & SULLIVAN HEALTHCARE RESEARCH ANALYST JOLIZE GERBER NOTES THAT INFECTIOUS DISEASES, INCLUDING AIDS, MALARIA AND TB STILL PRESENT THE LARGEST OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PROVISION OF PHARMACEUTICALS IN THE REGION, ESPECIALLY IN ZAMBIA AND MALAWI.

MR GERBER HAS STATED THAT THE HIGH BURDEN OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES WILL SPUR STRONG INVESTMENTS IN ANTI-INFECTIVE TREATMENTS AND AT THE SAME TIME, THE LARGE NUMBER OF NON-COMMUNICABLE OR LIFESTYLE DISEASES LIKE HYPERTENSION AND DIABETES WILL ALSO DRIVE MARKET DEVELOPMENT.

PUBLISHED BY AUGUSTINE