Strict rules for transporting pharma puts cold chain under extreme pressure

The market for pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals is growing, driving demand for cold chain logistics. The global market size for pharmaceutical manufacturing was valued at $405.52 billion in 2020, and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.34% from 2021 to 2028. The pharmaceutical landscape has undergone a massive transformation with the emergence of new technologies and more cost-effective and efficient manufacturing approaches. However, many of the items need to be transported under specific conditions.In Africa, this can be extremely challenging, as was highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The continent also remains at the back of the queue when it comes to access to vaccines, despite importing nearly 100% of the vaccines it uses. Whilst logistics can be problematic, considering the cargo is highly sensitive and of high value, it is cold chain management that probably ranks as the biggest challenge.“Pharmaceuticals demand high-quality service providers,” says one forwarder.A recent WHO study showed more than 50% of 34 African countries had cold chain capacity issues.