TEHRAN –A group of African ambassadors and chargé d'affaires visited Barkat cancer hospital in Tehran on Friday.

The envoys were from Burkina Faso, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal, Mali, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe.

The officials became familiarized with the hospital’s medical equipment, facilities, and services and then held a joint meeting with the head of the hospital, IRNA reported.

The two sides discussed ways to cooperate in different fields such as constructing and designing hospitals, treating patients, health tourism, and training medical staff in African countries.

The participants in the meeting also announced readiness to sign a memorandum of understanding to expand cooperation.

Africa welcomes Iranian medical equipment, medicine

In July 2023, Iranian knowledge-based companies concluded contracts for exporting medical equipment and medicine to Africa.

Amir-Hossein Mir-Abadi, an official with the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, said the African market is an attractive opportunity for Iranian knowledge-based companies, IRNA reported.

Referring to the visit of President Ebrahim Raisi to Africa in July 2023, Mir-Abadi said works are underway for exporting 50 types of medical equipment and 10 medicines to Africa.

He also pointed to the establishment of a medical and pharmaceutical equipment exhibition with the presence of more than 10 Iranian knowledge-based companies in Kenya.

In this exhibition, two Iranian companies succeeded in concluding contracts, he added.

The process of registering more than 50 medical devices and two drugs for export to Kenya has been done, and the registration and process of exporting more than 10 other drugs to this country is in the implementation phase, he explained.

He listed agriculture, food, and livestock industries as among the fields that were highly regarded and needed by African countries.

In Uganda, an exhibition for knowledge-based products was opened, and in practice, an infrastructure has been created for boosting the export of knowledge-based products and the display of Iranian capabilities, the official added.

“The products presented there were mostly in the field of the food industry, agricultural industry, medicine and medical devices, chemical products and catalysts, building materials and products related to the field of livestock and poultry, as well as medicines and herbal supplements.”

In January 2021, Iran opened its house of innovation and technology in Kenya and the first center in Africa.

The center serves as a base for the creation of innovative ideas, the commercialization of these ideas, and the export of Iranian knowledge-based products and services to the East African market.

Exporting technological products of Iranian knowledge-based companies is one of the important and key programs of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, and in this regard over the past years, with the support of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, the Iranian houses of innovation have been set up in several countries to develop the global market for knowledge-based products.

These centers have already been set up in countries such as Russia, Turkey, China, Syria, Kenya, Armenia, Iraq, and Uzbekistan.

By supporting innovative ideas, and holding technological and innovative events, the centers will be a platform for the development and promotion of Iranian knowledge-based companies, startups, and creative industries.

MT/MG