Africa: Disposable Syringe Potential Shares

According to the prediction of international medical device industry, the world's disposable syringe market will reach 9.3 billion to 9.5 billion U.S. dollars by 2015. This is because developed countries have generally entered an aging society, and many elderly people need to take drugs to the hospital regularly. The demand for disposable syringes is high. Now disposable syringes have become one of the largest consumables in European and American hospitals. However, the market for disposable syringes in Europe and the United States has become highly mature. Many people in the industry believe that although the African medical device market has small sales volume, with the sustained economic development in Africa, Africa will certainly become a potential candidate for disposable syringes and other medical devices. market.

The production capacity of disposable syringes in China has exceeded 30 billion, resulting in serious overcapacity, and the operating rate of some disposable syringe manufacturers is less than 50%. However, in recent years, the production of disposable syringes in the northern provinces of Shandong and Liaoning has developed rapidly, and some western provinces have also begun to join the ranks of disposable syringe manufacturers in recent years. Under the situation of overcapacity of disposable syringes in China, newly added manufacturers will undoubtedly face a more brutal competition.

According to the analysis of foreigners who have long been engaged in the trade of medical devices, the disposable syringe market is still dominated by developed countries. The United States is the largest disposable syringe market in the world today. In the United States, disposable syringes are not simply used to inject drugs but have expanded to a variety of medical uses. In particular, pre-filled syringes for some protein/polypeptide drugs have become important products in syringes. These products mainly include EPO prefilled syringes, human insulin syringes, various vaccine syringes, and DNA analysis syringes, which are all popular products on the US market. The United States currently accounts for about 30% of the global disposable syringe market. Europe ranks second (approximately 26%), Japan (approximately 10%), Middle Eastern countries and South American countries each 4%, including China, Southeast Asia, and Canada. Asia-Pacific countries including Oceania have become a new hot spot for the growth of the disposable syringe market in the world. The disposable syringe sales in these countries account for approximately 25% of the world market, while vast Africa accounts for only 1% of the world's disposable syringe market. .

There are nearly 1 billion people in Africa, and the national economies of Nigeria, Mali, South Africa, and North Africa are better. The sub-Saharan countries have always been the hardest hit areas for AIDS in the world. Therefore, African countries have a demand for disposable syringe products. It is huge. Currently the most needed syringe products in Africa include anesthesia syringes, vascular surgery syringes, blood/gas injectors, catheter injectors (especially one-end closed safety catheter injectors), dental syringes, eyeball syringes, insulin syringes (including conventional insulin syringes and pre Filled Insulin Syringe), Ligament Injector, Washing Syringe, etc.

In Africa, except for a few countries such as South Africa, which have certain medical device production capabilities, the vast majority of countries have not yet established a medical device production system. Most of the medical device products required by these countries rely on donations from relevant UN organizations. In addition, relevant UN agencies will also purchase a certain number of disposable medical devices, such as disposable syringes, for distribution to underdeveloped African countries for medical purposes. According to WHO's estimation, if African governments can fully protect people's medical needs, the African continent needs to consume at least 4.5 billion disposable syringes every year. From a long-term perspective, Africa is a potential big market for medical devices.

For many of China's disposable syringe manufacturers, it is better to do everything possible to open the vast market in Africa without compromising prices in the international market. China's single-use syringe manufacturers should change their current situation of fighting each other, organize an industry association as soon as possible, and send representatives to set up offices in South Africa and other countries in an effort to increase the share of disposable syringes in Africa. The market for disposable syringes in developed countries in Europe and America is already saturated. In contrast, Africa is the most promising target for the expansion of disposable syringes in China.