The building should be completed by September 2021.
Construction of the new building is funded by the Pierre Fabre Foundation and the Mérieux Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Minister of Public Health of Madagascar and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Antananarivo.
This funding follows an initial phase of the project devoted to the development and implementation of a postgraduate pharmacy program, run since 2005 with support from the Grenoble-Alpes University Faculty of Pharmacy, the Grenoble-Alpes University Hospital and, more recently, from the Monastir Faculty of Pharmacy. The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region and the Cooperation and Cultural Action Department of the French Embassy in Antananarivo have also supported the development of this university course.
The foundation stone laying ceremony took place in the presence of Mr. Christian Guy Ralijaona, Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Professor Willy Ramarotia, Principal Private Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, Mrs. Véronique Vouland-Aneini, French Ambassador to Madagascar, Mrs. Rocquie Evelyne Ramanantsoa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the University of Antananarivo, Professor Panja Ramanoelina, President of the University of Antananarivo, Mr. Pierre-Yves Revol, President of the Pierre Fabre Foundation, Professor Luc Hervé Samison, Director of the Charles Mérieux Center for Infectious Disease of Madagascar and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Antananarivo, Professor Guy Raoelison, Director of Pharmaceutical Studies, and Mrs. Luciana Rakotoarisoa, Mérieux Foundation country manager for Madagascar.
A project to increase the number of pharmacists in Madagascar
Building the future Faculty of Pharmacy is a continuation of the initiative launched in 2005 to create a pharmaceutical studies course in Madagascar. The aim is to address the lack of pharmacists in Madagascar, which has only 250 pharmacists for nearly 17 million inhabitants. The situation is of concern given the key role pharmacists play in the health system, acting as an important local point of contact for patients, both in providing access to treatment and raising awareness about the proper use of medication.
Creation of the State Diploma of Doctor in Pharmacy
The first stage of the project was to create a pharmacy department within the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Antananarivo to issue the State Diploma of Doctor of Pharmacy after a six-year course of study. Since 2006, the department has received 20 new students each year, with the first year graduating in 2011. In total, nearly 80 pharmacists have been trained, almost half of whom are now working in the public sector. The seventh class joined the course in 2018.
Project to create a Faculty of Pharmacy
The creation of an autonomous Faculty of Pharmacy with its own infrastructure will make it possible to sustain this university course and gradually increase the number of students. This is an essential step with a view to providing the country with the skills needed to deliver and monitor drug treatment, primarily in the hospital sector and in underprivileged districts.
The future Faculty of Pharmacy building
Covering an area of approximately 700 m2, the future Faculty of Pharmacy will have five classrooms and three fully equipped training laboratories, along with office and storage space. It should take in 40 to 50 students per year starting at the beginning of the 2021 academic year.
Partners committed to moving forward this public health challenge
University of Antananarivo
The pharmacy department comes under the administrative supervision of the Faculty of Medicine, and from an education standpoint, under the supervision of the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Sciences. The University of Antananarivo provides administrative and technical support for the department, makes available premises and Malagasy teaching staff paid by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and covers running costs and expenses related to the organization of examinations including competitive ones.
Pierre Fabre Foundation
The Pierre Fabre Foundation is co-funding the future Faculty of Pharmacy. It took part in developing the university course deployed by the Pharmacy department, in developing the teaching program and in creating a specialized teaching team. It provides support for the acquisition of scientific equipment, the organization of educational support and helps fund scholarships for Malagasy students.
Mérieux Foundation
The Mérieux Foundation provided strategic, educational and financial support for the development and structuring of the pharmacy department: acquiring office equipment and materials necessary for teaching, support for creating and implementing practical work modules, financing international mobility projects related to teacher training, etc. It contributes to the financing of the future Faculty of Pharmacy.
Grenoble-Alpes University and Grenoble-Alpes University Hospital
The Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Grenoble provided support for designing and consolidating the pharmaceutical course: diagnosing educational needs and skills, creating an annual educational seminar, transferring all disciplines to Malagasy teachers, training trainers and drawing up transfer applications for young Malagasy pharmacists to acquire complementary skills, etc. Support continues today through the provision of expertise to meet the needs identified by the Malagasy team.
Monastir Faculty of Pharmacy
The Monastir Faculty of Pharmacy provides pharmaceutical formulation courses and training for Malagasy teachers who will take charge of this discipline. A number of missions have been carried out and a PhD student is currently being supervised. The Monastir Faculty of Pharmacy is contributing to this project as part of a South-South cooperation.