mPharma and Belayab Pharmaceuticals PLC sign franchise agreement to launch Haltons Pharmacies in Ethiopia on Thursday 11th of March,2021.
mPharma has signed a franchise agreement with Belayab Pharmaceuticals PLC to increase patient access to affordable and quality medications in Ethiopia, through its subsidiary, Haltons Limited. Through this agreement, mPharma will leverage its technology platforms, insights, and extensive experience working with hospitals and retail pharmacies across Africa to help Ethiopia achieve universal medical coverage to all its patients.
Through its franchise, mPharma and Belayab Pharmaceuticals aim to open two operational pharmacies in Addis Ababa this year. Headquartered in Ghana, mPharma, a technology driven healthcare company acquired Kenya’s second largest pharmacy chain, Haltons, in 2019, taking control of 27 stores across Kenya. Currently operational in Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Rwanda, and Kenya, mPharma serves about a million patients every year through over 300 partner pharmacies and provides patients with affordable and high quality medicines in its quest to build an Africa that is in good health.
In Africa, the pharmaceutical market faces challenges such as sprawling supply chains, low order volumes, and exorbitant prices. Millions of Africans continue to die from diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and Hepatitis B; these diseases can be prevented or treated with timely access to appropriate and affordable medicines and other health services. With less than 2% of drugs consumed in Africa being produced on the continent, many sick patients cannot afford to buy the medications they need for treatment. mPharma has been working with drug manufacturers and suppliers to make medicine supply chains more efficient, thereby reducing the financial burden to patients.
Under this partnership, each pharmacy launched will offer Mutti – mPharma health membership program – to patients in Ethiopia. Patients will benefit from discounts on their drugs and financing options that can help alleviate the costs of health care. Mutti will particularly benefit uninsured patients in Ethiopia who pay out-of-pocket for their medication and therefore bear the brunt of high drug prices.
The franchise will see mPharma enter its eighth market in Sub-Saharan Africa and third in East Africa. The partnership has also mentioned its interest in potentially being involved in the Corona virus vaccine provision.
mPharma specializes in vendor managed inventory, retail pharmacy operations, and market intelligence serving hospitals, pharmacies, and patients. It was founded in 2013 and currently has network of over 300 pharmacies in our key markets serving more than 100,000 patients each month.
Belayab Pharmaceuticals PLC is a part of the Belayab Group in Ethiopia where the group has companies such as Belayab Foods 9official franchise of Pizza Hut, Coldstone Creamery and Burger King), Belayab Motors (Kia Motors assembler), Belayab Cable (Cable manufacturing company), and Golden Tulip Hotel in Ethiopia. Belayab Pharmaceuticals PLC was founded by Aschalew Belay, Michael Ghebru and Robel Minassie.
Syringing access to affordable and quality medication
Plan International Ethiopia
Plan International Ethiopia partnered with The Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) donated 200 printers worth more than two million birr to the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health on March 12, 2021, at an event held at their respective Ministry Offices.
Handing over the donation to the Ministry Offices Mekdim Gulilat, Operations Director, Plan International Ethiopia has said Plan International Ethiopia inked a Memorandum of Understanding with its partner HP to develop the capacities of its partners and this is the first Phase of the donation organized to both ministries to contribute our part in an effort to strengthen the ministries capacity and complement the government endeavors in the prevention, response, and treatment of COVID-19.
Yohannes Wogasso, School Improvement Program Director, Ministry of Education and Dr Daniel G/Mikael, Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Health appreciated Plan International Ethiopia’s donation and they confirmed that the Printers will be employed to the desired objectives and today’s donation is the first of its kind that will contribute its share to diversify and expand its partnerships to other sectors of the ministries interventions.
Patriots governing Hong Kong is justified
By Liu Yuxi
The National People’s Congress of China approved a draft decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which have drawn wide attention. From the enactment of Law on Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong last year to the improvement of the Hong Kong electoral system this year, it fully reflects the firm determination and historic responsibility of China’s highest organ of state to maintain “One Country, Two Systems” and to ensure the long-term stability and prosperity of Hong Kong. In order to let African friends understand the whole story, I would like to introduce the history of Hong Kong again.
Hong Kong of China had been occupied by the British since 1841, soon followed by the British colonial rule. During the 150+years of colonialism, the governors directly appointed by the British government took all the power and there was neither elections nor democracy at all. In 1997, China, the motherland, resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong. In the following 24 years, the central government has always adhered to the principles of “One Country, Two Systems”, ” Hong Kong People Administering Hong Kong “, “A High Degree of Autonomy”, and acts strictly in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law of Hong Kong SAR of China. As a result, “One Country, Two Systems” has achieved universally recognized success. Hong Kong’s political democracy has also developed in an orderly manner, and Hong Kong people are enjoying unprecedented rights in accordance with the law.
However, in recent years, especially since the suspension of the legislative amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance in 2019, anti-China individuals in Hong Kong has colluded with foreign anti-China forces. They openly advocated “Hong Kong independence”，and even unscrupulously engaged in anti-China activities through the SAR election platform, the legislative council, the district council meeting platform, and through the abuse of relevant public positions. They tried to paralyze the operation of the SAR Legislative Council, obstruct the SAR government’s legitimate administration, challenge the authority of the central government and seize the SAR’s governance power. Some anti-China individuals in Hong Kong even publicly declared that their purpose of running for the Legislative Council was to shut down the SAR government, to incite students and citizens to commit street violence, and finally to prompt the western countries to impose political and economic sanctions on China. As such, the political security and social stability of the Hong Kong SAR have been threatened as never before due to the unsound electoral system. Therefore, the improvement of the Hong Kong SAR’s electoral system has reached the point of extreme urgency.
Patriotism is both the original aspiration and the starting point of administering Hong Kong SAR. The guiding principle, “Patriots administering Hong Kong”, is demonstrated in the move to improve Hong Kong’s electoral system. Several western media tend to make accusations and defamation about this, challenging why “patriots administering HK”, or “One Country, Two Systems” is violated, etc. Looking around the world, all public service aspirants have to show their patriotism and swear loyalty to their motherland. As a special administrative region of China, Hong Kong’s governance must be in the hands of patriots, which is a basic political ethic, lawful and justified. No country will hand over the governance of its jurisdiction to people who do not recognize their own country and nation. In addition, “Patriots administering Hong Kong” is embodied in the “One Country, Two Systems” policy. In order to ensure the practice of “One Country, Two Systems” continues to move on the right course steadily and further, administrators of Hong Kong must be able to fully and accurately understand and implement the “One Country, Two Systems” policy, recognizing that “One Country” is the prerequisite and foundation of “Two Systems”, and stand firmly against foreign interference in Hong Kong affairs.
China and the majority of African countries have similar experiences, making long and arduous struggles to escape colonial rule, thus to know well that our destiny and development path can only be controlled in our own hands. Recently at the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council held in Geneva, Belarus delivered a joint speech on behalf of 70 countries, emphasizing that Hong Kong affairs are China’s internal affairs and should not be interfered by outsiders. Many of 70 countries are African brothers and I am grateful for that. I believe that the African brothers can continue to understand and support China’s positions and efforts of improving Hong Kong’s electoral system and the “One Country, Two Systems”, safeguarding national sovereignty, security, development interests and Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability, as well as opposing external forces interfering in Hong Kong affairs.
Liu Yuxi is Chinese Ambassador to the African Union
