In Ukraine, Rui signs agreement for insulin production in Bahia.
"We have just signed an important protocol for the transfer of technology and the implementation of an insulin production unit in Bahia. This is good for the health of Brazilians, and it is good for the Brazilian economy," said Governor Rui Costa this morning in a video on social media about the signing of the commitment agreement between the Government of Bahia and the Ukrainian company Indar in Kiev; Bahiafarma will be the first laboratory in the Northeast to produce insulin; "The Ministry of Health will now be able to purchase [insulin] at a much lower price, thus facilitating access to this medication for thousands of people. It is an important step for public health in Brazil," said Rui alongside the president of Indar, Liubov Viktoriyna Vyshnevska.
Bahia 247 - "We have just signed an important protocol for the transfer of technology and the implementation of an insulin production unit in Bahia. This is good for the health of Brazilians, and it is good for the Brazilian economy," said Governor Rui Costa this morning, posting a video on social media about the signing of the commitment agreement between the Government of Bahia and the Ukrainian company Indar in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. With this partnership, Bahiafarma will be the first laboratory in the Northeast to produce insulin, a medication used to control diabetes.
"The Ministry of Health will now purchase [insulin] at a much lower price, thus facilitating access to this medication for thousands of people. This is an important step for public health in Brazil," Rui stated in a recorded testimony alongside the president of Indar, Liubov Viktoriyna Vyshnevska.
According to research conducted by the Ministry of Health and released in March of this year, the number of Brazilians diagnosed with diabetes has grown by 61,8% in the last 10 years, rising from 5,5% of the population in 2006 to 8,9% in 2016.
The production of insulin by Bahiafarma, a public laboratory in Bahia, in partnership with Indar, will result in the construction of a factory near the Aratu Industrial Center with the capacity to meet the demand of the Ministry of Health, which will distribute the medication throughout the country. "The factory will undoubtedly be built, and Brazilian insulin will have access to the market at a very affordable price," stated the president of the Ukrainian company, who also assured the quality of the medication that will be produced in Bahia.
The expectation is that Bahiafarma will begin delivering the insulin purchased ready-made from Indar to the Ministry of Health as early as November. The agreement's timeline stipulates that the factory will be ready within three years. The investment will be R$ 250 million, with a capacity to produce 25 million vials per year, more than the amount produced in Ukraine, which is 15 million vials/year.
According to the state secretary of Economic Development, Jaques Wagner, the investment in Bahia represents "more jobs, more innovation and more development" for the state.
Once the factory in Bahia starts operating, the problems with the lack of insulin in the Unified Health System (SUS) are expected to end. Those with type 1 diabetes alone, who are regularly dependent on insulin, currently represent a universe of 600 Brazilians.
The insulin production project of Bahiafarma was approved by the Ministry of Health in August of this year, through Ordinance 1.993, published in the Official Gazette of the Union. With the publication, the public laboratory of the State of Bahia became eligible to supply the medication to the Unified Health System (SUS).
Governor Rui Costa's commitment in the Ukrainian capital is part of the program of the State Government's third international mission. This Wednesday (30), he begins his agenda in China, where he continues negotiations that are unlocking important projects for the development of the state, such as the Salvador-Itaparica bridge.