We are pleased to announce that we have signed a long-term agreement with Abacus Parenteral Drugs Limited (APDL) for the production and supply of infusion bottles (Ringer lactate (Hartmann), sodium chloride, and dextrose (5% in water)) compliant to international standards. We expect to supply the first IV bottles in the first quarter of 2025.

This contract is closely linked to our long-term goal of strengthening local capacity. Through this goal, IDA aims to strengthen local health systems and support local partners through knowledge sharing and capacity building, including finding local manufacturers in our destination countries who meet our quality standards to supply essential medicines and supplies.

Early 2023, we started with an initial visit to the factory of APDL, just outside of Kampala, Uganda. Since that first visit, there have been several more site visits and many video calls where we have increasingly found a good strategic fit between our organisations' missions. While Abacus is already a reputable and well-known supplier to many customers throughout East Africa and beyond, IDA was looking for a partner to provide locally manufactured products that would be compliant with the expectations of international NGOs active in the same region. With the formal audit in February 2024 and ultimately the signing of the contract in July 2024, we are set for a long and mutually beneficial future.

In the past half year, our QA department has been working closely with APDL to further improve the production process, looking at the final details, to ensure that the infusion bottles are produced under the most sterile conditions. Achieving this level of sterilisation not only enhances the quality of the products but also fits perfectly with our commitment to sustainable solutions. By partnering with APDL locally, we can offer these high-quality IV fluids at an affordable price, making quality healthcare accessible to our customers in the region.

This collaboration with APDL is an example of our shared commitment to contribute to both the well-being of patients and the long-term strengthening of local healthcare systems as well as the local economy in general.

About Abacus
Abacus is a distributor and manufacturer of pharmaceutical products in the East Africa region with a presence in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi, DRC, and South Soudan. Established in 2006 in Kampala, Uganda, Abacus Parenteral Drugs Limited (APDL) is the largest parenteral drug manufacturer in East Africa, producing a wide range of IV fluids including ear, eye and nose drops, sterile water for injection and other injectables.