In a day, we’ll be crossing over from a significantly life-changing year to the next. The year 2020 has been life-changing to all of us; work from home, masking, social distancing, job losses, and loss of loved ones among others. It’s been extraordinary how we’ve adapted to the changes, pivoted our systems to cope and weathered the storm. Regardless of this, the battle isn’t yet won. COVID-19 is still with us and we’ve got to comply with the recommended measures of washing hands, wearing masks, social distancing and avoiding unnecessary travels & gatherings where possible.

When the first case of COVID-19 was reported in March, our lives were turned upside down with anxiety and uncertainty at its peak. As an association rooted on our mission, to promote efficiency in the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that medical products and healthcare technologies of the highest quality can be readily available for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases, we have pivoted and continued to discharge our mandate through alternative means. Our physical meetings morphed to virtual meetings, stakeholders’ engagements took place virtually with a renewed commitment to leverage on our different strengths for improved efficiencies among others.

In September during the World Patient Safety Week, in conjunction with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN), Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK), National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK), Kenya Medical Association (KMA), Hospital Pharmacists Association of Kenya (HOPAK) and The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), we revamped our commitment to improve access to quality, safe and efficacious medical products and technologies as a prerequisite for quality healthcare & patient safety anchored on empowered, competent and protected healthcare workers. It also became evident that to foster this commitment, there’s need to continually engage with stakeholders and share insights for continuous improvement of care. As an association, we pledge to carry this into the next year.

Our members from the outset of the pandemic took up responsibility to engage with and contribute to the national response in different fronts. At institutional level, they adopted containment measures to safeguard their employees, reviewed their supply chain dynamics to buffer the sector from stock outs that were speculated. At community level, they were at the forefront in supporting communities through donations both to their communities and to professional associations to safeguard the wellbeing of healthcare practitioners among others. On global stage, our member companies have taken lead to develop therapeutics and vaccines for COVID-19. These include vaccines that are currently in the pipeline by Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson among others. These have been made possible by our common commitment as an industry to improve access to quality lifesaving healthcare products and technologies for a healthy populace. In one way or the other, you as a stakeholder have made it possible for us to get to this point and we appreciate you for that.

As we welcome a new year, having come to terms with our new normal it’s time to improve on our performance rooted on our commitment to safeguard the health of our people and improve access to quality, safe and efficacious healthcare products and technologies. To realize this, we know we can only dream so big and bank on your support to make it a reality. It’s because of this that we commit the New Year to a “Year of Redefining Collaboration in the Pharmaceutical Industry”.

In the coming year, we’ll be keen to revamp and establish new collaborative engagements with stakeholders; bring science behind the work we do as an industry closer to the people we do it for and derive value from it and most importantly do good for our communities. Good business is good for business and this will always be at the core of our work. Let’s walk the journey together.