Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 12 December (BelTA) – Belarus’ export of medical and pharmaceutical products and services reached $63.6 million in January-September 2017, Belarus’ Healthcare Minister Valery Malashko said at the panel discussion “Medical and pharmaceutical sciences” at the Second Congress of Scientists of Belarus, BelTA has learned.

In his annual address to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly in April the Belarusian president noted that this year’s target was to export $40 million worth of medical services. “We have already hit this mark,” Valery Malashko said. In January-September the export of medical and pharmaceutical goods and services (including educational ones) reached $63.6 million.

The share of locally-produced drugs on the domestic market today is over 56% in value terms. The export accounts for 27% of the total volume of pharmaceutical production. Belarusian pharmaceutical companies export their products to 32 countries around the world.

In January-August 2017, some 72 new drugs were registered and are under development in Belarus. More than 100 new methods of healthcare provision were approved in January-September. More than 250 new medical technologies developed by Belarusian scientists-physicians in previous years were embedded in the practice of public healthcare in 2016-2017.

Despite these achievements, according to Valery Malashko, it is important that the medical and pharmaceutical science and the healthcare industry as a whole should move forward on the path of sustained innovative development.