By Rebecca Ejifoma
The CEO of Advantage Health Africa, Abimbola Adebakin, has urged Africa to find solutions to its healthcare challenges especially with the current COVID-19 pandemic.
She said this in a media release to announce the appointment of Mr. Michael Heavens as the Managing Director/CEO, Advantage Pharmaceuticals Limited (APL).
“The entire healthcare system provides opportunities, which if harnessed for the long term, will augur well for Africans.
“We can, and must, find solutions to Africa’s healthcare challenges, and Advantage Pharmaceutical Ltd is fortunate to have Heavens join us at this crucial time to do just that,” Adebakin hinted.
With the advent of the pandemic, AHA says it understands the gap in the supply chain for medications in Nigeria, hence, it will actively pursue bridging this gap through linking the people directly with the medicines and medical devices faster than ever before, with assured quality.
This necessitated Heaven’s appointment to pilot the company’s goal of providing access to genuine and affordable drugs through manufacture and distribution.
With a strong pharma industry know-how, Heavens says the pharmaceutical sector is about to open up.
His words: “The sector needs deep investments, committed players and dedicated teams to make things work.”
Heavens added that he sees his role leading APL as a hallmark in his career that will certainly make the right kind of impact we need in healthcare.
Meanwhile, AHA noted that making major contributions to the development of this sector is at the core of APL, by ensuring the provision of genuine medication across Nigeria.
With this drive, APL has a focus on local production as much as possible. Adebakin added, “Heavens will serve as the pioneering lead of the venture.”
She continued that Heavens has expertise in pharmaceutical sales and marketing accumulated in several leading indigenous pharmaceutical companies in almost two decades.
“Heavens has understanding the demand and supply rhythms of the Nigerian market, with vast knowledge in warehousing and supply chain management, essential medicines, product launch and marketing,” AHA CEO said.
As a recipient of several awards his career, the MD is set to achieve unprecedented success in this arena.
Backed by Nigerian investors and a top financial institution, AHA continues to pursue access, affordability and quality of healthcare through it flagship collaborative venture, my-medicines.com.
It also pursues Nigeria’s first e-aggregation of almost 1000 pharmacies, which has delivered excellent service by providing medicines to the last mile – at home, offices and clinics – combining logistics and telepharmacy.
