The Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil) will organise a high profile India-Africa Healthcare Partnership Conference at Hyderabad on December 1, 2005. The event is to coincide with the 57th Indian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC), the country's biggest pharma event of the year, also planned in the city during December 2 to 4. This is the first time an export promotion council is organising a mega event of such magnitude to coincide with the biggest congress of Indian pharmaceutical sector.

The Pharmexcil has decided to promote the event in an extensive manner with the cooperation of the Embassies of all African nations in India. In a preparatory meeting attended by Ambassadors and diplomats of various African countries here on May 5, Pharmexcil called for the setting up of a joint working group consisting of officials from government departments, embassies and Pharmexcil to organise the event. With the presence of drug regulatory officials and industrialists from Africa, the 57th IPC having the theme "healthcare in TRIPS era" is likely to become a venue for discussing the concerns of the entire developing world in the field of healthcare during TRIPS era.

According to Venkat Jasti, vice chairman, Pharmexcil & member, organising committee of 57th IPC, the India-Africa Partnership programme is going to boost the stature of IPC. He suggested special sessions on "harmonisation of drug regulatory systems of Africa and India" during 57th IPC.

"The decision to organise Indo-Africa programme along with the country's biggest pharma event was taken to provide an opportunity to the African delegates to have a first hand feel of the technology capability of Indian pharma industry," D B Mody, chairman, Pharmexcil, said.

The 57th IPC with the theme, "Healthcare in TRIPS era," would focus on implications of TRIPS on healthcare. It is also to analyse the healthcare needs in the WTO regime to find a balance between protecting research and innovation and allowing technology to be used widely for making life saving drugs available at affordable cost.

V C Nannapaneni, chairman, Natco Pharma, is the president of Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association (IPCA), the umbrella body that organises the 57th IPC. The other office bearers are Dr Renuka Datla, chairperson LOC, J A S Giri, convenor, R Ranga Rao and Dr B Parthasarathy Reddy, co-chairmen. M Kodandaram and Dr P Khadgapathi are the organizing secretary and co-convenor respectively.