Biogaran launches its activities in Lubumbashi (DRC)

The pharmaceutical company Biogaran, leader in generic drugs in France, officially launched its activities in Lubumbashi on Saturday, February 11, 2023. This launch, which comes one year after the one in Kinshasa, allows Biogaran to extend its territorial coverage to the region of Haut-Katanga and to reaffirm its commitment to optimal patient care in the DRC and access to quality care throughout the country.  

 A day of debates between healthcare professionals for optimal patient care 

On this occasion, a day of debates between Congolese healthcare professionals was organized in order to address public health issues and more particularly the themes of diabetes and cancer, which affect a growing part of the country’s population each year. 

Dedicated to knowledge sharing, this meeting highlighted some of the best international practices in the management of patients with diabetes and cancer, diseases that have been growing steadily on the continent in recent years [1,2] and more particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 

Diabetes and cancer, major public health issues in the country 

In 2021, diabetes affected 24 million people in Africa and killed more than 415,000 patients on the continent [3]. This figure is constantly rising, as 55 million patients will have diabetes in 2045 in Africa, an increase of 129% compared to 2021, the highest growth rate in the world according to the World Health Organization and the International Diabetes Federation [4,5].  

With 1.9 million patients concerned in 2021 [5], again according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the 5th most affected African country by this pathology.  

In terms of cancer diseases, the World Health Organization estimates that nearly 49,000 people will be diagnosed with a new cancer in 2020 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and that more than 34,000 patients will die of cancer in the same year in the country. It should also be noted that the most common cancers in the country are uterine, prostate, breast, liver and colorectal cancers [6].  

On a continental scale, Africa records approximately 1.1 million new cases of cancer each year and up to 700,000 deaths as a direct result, according to WHO figures published on February 4, 2022 during World Cancer Day [7].

Laurent NSELE, Biogaran’s Sales Manager in the DRC, said:

 “The WHO estimates the prevalence of diabetes in 2021 at 1.9 million patients in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in parallel, more and more patients are concerned by cancers. Coordinated action by all stakeholders is therefore essential to effectively fight against these diseases. Biogaran intends to play its full part in this collective effort, as demonstrated by the organization of this day of exchange, but also by the availability of a wide range of quality medicines for patients in Haut-Katanga and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a whole” 

To find out what medicines are available in the Democratic Republic of Congo, click here.

POI 0814-03/23 

Sources :  

[1] Santé : 10 choses à savoir sur le cancer en Afrique – Jeune Afrique 

[2] Afrique : le diabète gagne du terrain (tv5monde.com) 

[3] IDF Diabetes Atlas | Tenth Edition 

[4] Les défis liés à la prévention et aux soins du diabète en Afrique | OMS | Bureau régional pour l’Afrique (who.int) 

[5] IDF Diabetes Atlas 2021 | IDF Diabetes Atlas  

[6] 180-congo-democratic-republic-of-fact-sheets.pdf (iarc.fr) 

[7] Journée mondiale contre le cancer 2022 | OMS | Bureau régional pour l’Afrique (who.int)