Healthcare | Tuesday 17 April, 2018 11:47 am |

The Middle East Pharma Cold Chain Congress launched today in Dubai with the participation of a group of local specialists and more than 100  regional and international experts. The two-day leading event is supported by the ministry of health and prevention and organized by Maarefah the world-class events, training, and association management company.

The event aims at bringing together all the industry stakeholders to discuss ongoing and future challenges in the sector and come up with solutions to address these issues. This year, the focus is on pharmaceutical companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) facing several challenges such as globalization of the pharmaceutical supply chain, developing GDP regulations updates and maintaining global compliance for temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals across different countries with varying regulations. This initiative is part of Maarefah Management Corporate Social Responsibility to improve Patient Safety in the MENA region.
The congress places emphasis on overcoming these challenges with the most effective strategies including regulatory compliance, integrating cold chain management, selecting the appropriate partners, maintaining supply chain integrity, achieving real time traceability and more.

The lectures and interactive workshops topics discussed by regional and international speakers during the two days event includes, exploring global trends in pharmaceutical supply chain, disruptive high technologies and its impact on supply chain, innovations in cold chain and transport risk management, adjusting to challenging trade lanes - A carrier perspective, Utilizing Risk-Based approach for transport qualification, improving temperature controlled logistics by using the virtual cold chain, risk management for temperature controlled logistics, implementing global standards to ensure end-to-end GDP compliance, Examining regulatory and quality standards during vaccine and medical supply distribution, mitigating import/export complexities in the MENA region, challenges for managing end-to-end supply chain, understanding hospital pharmacy perspective in managing cold chain products, and more.

During the first day of the event Mazen Al Homsi, Manager Cargo,  Gulf Area & Yemen -        IATA presented a lecture about IATA's insight on handling and transporting of temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products. "The use of air-mode transportation is re-considered unless industry partners ensure quality services, critical issues raised by the shippers includes 25% of vaccines reach their destination degraded because of incorrect shipping, 30% of scrapped pharmaceuticals can be attributed to logistics issues alone, 20% of temperature-sensitive products are damaged during transport due to a broken cold chain". said Mazen Al Homsi.

" Shippers expecting in cold chain compliance, standardization, accountability & transparency across the supply chain, Properly trained stakeholders on regulations and standards, adequately equipped facilities throughout the supply chain, global certification for handling of pharmaceutical cargo, easily search and identify stakeholders that meet requirements and common audit format to minimize the disruptions and increase effectiveness". added Mazen Al Homsi.
"For the first time in UAE, Poland’s biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry is promoted at Middle East Cold Chain Pharma Congress in Dubai during 17-19 April 2018. Polish Investment & Trade Agency organized Poland’s National Stand for Polish Biotech and Pharma Industries as part of the Promotion Program, aiming to increase awareness and promote Polish exports. On this occasion the industry expert is prof. Tadeusz Pietrucha, who is an active academia lecturer and business angel in this industry’s start-ups. Prof. Pietrucha heads the Department of Medical Biotechnology at the Medical University of Lodz, Poland and is an active contributor to strengthening this industry through technological platforms and seminars. Representatives of Dubai-based Polish Trade Office are also present during this event to promote this sector and establish business connections between Poland and the UAE". said Polish Investment & Trade Agency management, one of the international companies participating in this year event.

The Middle East Pharma Cold Chain Congress supported by leading regional and international companies such as The Polish Investment and Trade Agency and SCLG. And  the list of regional and international speakers includes: Lana Hammad, head of pharmacy in sheikh khalifa general hospital, UAE, Osama Tomeh, freight policy and planning consultant , Abu Dhabi department of transport, UAE, Rateb Al Jallad, head of supply chain Julphar Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries, UAE, Youssef A. Beydoun, head of cargo planning and compliance, Dubai Airports Cargo and Logistics, UAE, ohamed Fayez Monir, head of third party manufacturing, Middle East & North Africa and India, Boehinger Ingelheim, Abdullah Bahadir Buyukkaymaz, special cargo manager, Turkish Cargo, Turkey, and more.