Rising Burden of Diseases Drives the Pharmaceutical Industry in East Africa, Says Frost & Sullivan

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, August 16, 2010 - Infectious diseases are rampant in sub-Saharan Africa. Urbanisation and
westernised lifestyles have further increased the prevalence of
non-communicable diseases such as cancer. The strong correlation between
infectious diseases and cancer has additionally fuelled the incidence rates
of various cancers, driving the pharmaceutical industry in key east African
countries.

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"Although the management and prevention of infectious diseases has been
the priority in sub-Saharan Africa, there is scant attention towards rising
lifestyle diseases," says Frost & Sullivan programme manager Lizelle Wentzel.
"For example, Uganda has one cancer institute, three oncologists and limited
funding, but is attempting to make a difference through research
collaborations, funding programmes, and training of staff to control the
spread of cancer in the country."

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (www.pharma.frost.com), The
Pharmaceutical Industry in Key East African Countries, finds that the market
earned revenues of US$1.2 million in 2009 and estimates this to reach US$2.8
million in 2016. The products covered in this study span the cardiovascular,
respiratory, central nervous system, anti-infectives, oncology and diabetes
sectors.

If you are interested in more information on this study, please send an
e-mail to Patrick Cairns, Corporate Communications, at
patrick.cairns@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone
number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country.

"Realising the growing burden of cancer has sparked increasing amounts of
funding by private organisations and donors," says Wentzel. "East Africa has
some of the highest rates of cancer in children and adults worldwide, with
Uganda ranking first in the region."

Compounded by the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), cancer
rates have risen to more than 20,000 fold in many African regions. Infectious
diseases cause six of the ten most common cancers in Uganda. Kaposi sarcoma
(KS) is the most widespread, with 975 new adult cases and 42 new child cases
per annum. Nearly one in two Ugandans is infected with the human
herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8).

However, access to inexpensive chemotherapy is limited, with most
patients either not receiving any treatment or only a single course of drugs.
Therefore, the survival rate of cancer patients post diagnosis is dismal in
Uganda. Most patients cannot afford transport costs and treatment. While
treatment is supposed to be free at the Ugandan Cancer Institute (UCI), the
cost of a course of the recommended medication is US$450.00. The lack of
government support in cancer treatment curbs the successful management of
this disease.

"The UCI's bed capacity is far below the demand and the institute
requires a budget that far exceeds that of the Mulago Teaching Hospital's
total annual budget for operation, salaries, education and awareness
campaigns, and most importantly procurement of drugs," explains Wentzel.

Greater awareness about cancer and access to treatment is essential in
alleviating the disease burden in Sub-Saharan Africa.

"The Ugandan government should recognise cancer as a priority disease and
focus a percentage of annual funding towards the management of this disease,"
concludes Wentzel. "Although donor funding will alleviate some of the strain,
it is crucial for the country to have access to anti-cancer treatments."

The Pharmaceutical Industry in Key East African Countries is part of the
Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology Growth Partnership Services programme, which
also includes research in the following markets: Healthcare industry in
Namibia, Pharmaceutical industry in Botswana, Healthcare regulatory
environment in SADC, and Healthcare industry in Ghana. All research services
included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry
trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market
participants.

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           The Pharmaceutical Industry in Key East African Countries
                                     M57C

    Contact:
    Patrick Cairns
    Corporate Communications - Africa
    P: +27-18-464-2402
    E: patrick.cairns@frost.com

    www.frost.com

Patrick Cairns of Frost & Sullivan Corporate Communications - Africa, +27-18-464-2402, patrick.cairns at frost.com