The State Trading Organisation (STO) announced its exclusive distribution rights for AstraZeneca, a renowned UK-based pharmaceutical company, during a formal event at Kurumba Maldives on Saturday.
The ceremony was graced by the presence of Minister of State for Health, Ahmed Adil. Abdulla Saeed, STO’s CEO and Managing Director, was also in attendance, joined by AstraZeneca Business Manager Abhishek Kaushik and several eminent figures from the healthcare community.
We proudly present #AstraZeneca's product portfolio to the Maldives, featuring a range of #innovative medicines in #Diabetes, #Respiratory, #Oncology, #Gastroenterology, & #Cardiology.
— STO Medical Services (@StoMedical) September 2, 2023
Our partnership is dedicated to enhancing treatment options for patients across the nation. pic.twitter.com/J7bFD7jSeG
This collaboration with AstraZeneca seeks to boost the Maldivian government’s ongoing initiatives, ensuring that essential medications for chronic diseases are both cost-effectively imported and continuously available. The strategic alignment with a premier entity like AstraZeneca undoubtedly enhances public trust in the quality of medicines sourced by STO.
A highlight of this partnership is the registration of 14 AstraZeneca medicines under Aasandha, with the portfolio also including treatments for cancer, gastric issues, and diabetes.
This move is in line with STO’s overarching objective to ensure an unobstructed supply chain, directly from pharmaceutical manufacturers, bypassing intermediaries. Such an approach allows physicians greater confidence in prescribing top-tier medications, thereby fostering quicker and more effective patient recoveries. Consequently, this is expected to significantly benefit the health and well-being of the Maldivian populace.
Reflecting on this development, Abdulla Saeed remarked, “AstraZeneca has solidified its position as a household name, especially during Covid. Furthermore, STO has successfully forged ties with 26 companies to streamline the import of indispensable medicines and health-related commodities into the Maldives. Such progress is emblematic of the significant strides being made in our nation’s healthcare domain. This ensures that the Maldivian public will have access to improved medical quality, while also addressing potential medicinal shortages.”
