To address the increasing cases of antimicrobial resistance, as well as aid in the fight to eliminate HIV, Fidson Healthcare Plc, a leading Nigerian pharmaceutical company, has signed a strategic Cooperation Memorandum with three Chinese firms to tackle HIV in Africa.

The Chinese firms, which include Jiangsu Aidea Pharma, Nanjing PharmaBlock, and the China-Africa Development Fund, have all agreed to actively leverage their respective strengths to establish a new joint venture pharmaceutical plant project with Fidson Healthcare in Nigeria.

The founder and managing director of Fidson Healthcare Plc, Dr. Fidelis Ayebae, explained that the new project is poised to promote Africa’s self-reliance in healthcare delivery, especially in tackling HIV.

He noted that all parties agreed to share information, and resources, as well as jointly explore investment opportunities in the pharmaceutical markets of West African countries, and implement investment cooperation at the project level.

Ayebae expressed optimism about the partnership, noting that it is a sterling example of international cooperation aimed at tackling pressing medical challenges.

“We eagerly look forward to this collaboration and believe that the complementary strengths of all parties will inject new vitality into the healthcare delivery sector in Africa, particularly addressing the medical needs of over 1.9 million HIV-infected individuals in Nigeria, a focus of Aidea Pharma,” he added.

He also noted that the project is coming at no better time than when the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) in Nigeria, under the leadership of Dr Temitope Ilori, is championing the government’s drive to provide necessary support and an enabling environment for pharmaceutical companies to start local production of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).

The Chairman of Jiangsu Aidea Pharma, Dr. Heliang Fu, remarked that the collaboration is an important step for Chinese pharma players in their commitment to global medical cooperation by integrating their expertise and experience in the field of innovative drugs. “We are confident in bringing greater well-being to African patients,” he said.