A pharmacist from the university of Padua, italy

objetive & Mission

First and foremost, Guimeds is a company that aims to bring innovations to improve the lives of Guinean society through its founder: Dr. Alfredo Sambú (Pharmacist). He owns two pharmacies in Italy, having gained experience in this field of knowledge, and with this helped develop the same sector in Guinea-Bissau.

Observing the fragility of the institution across all areas, he, as a professional, wants to apply his know-how to the development of the health system in the country where he was born, raised, educated, and which he loves.

As it is said, in life, one cannot do everything, but he intends to invest a minimum of energy, competence, and knowledge for the well-being and development of his country.

About Dr. Alfredo Sambú, a pharmacist, the mentor of this great project Guimeds “Guinea Medicines Health and Well-being”, a professional at the service of the people. This is the vital link between the doctor and the patient. Here is the educational and professional journey during the years of study and work in Italy:

1. Bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 2003 – University of Padua;
2. Registered with the Order of Pharmacists in Italy, England, and Guinea-Bissau – 2012.
3. Masters in Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management – 2014, Alma Laboris – Milan.
4. Second-level master’s in applied Phytotherapy at the University of Siena – 2018;
5. Owner of two pharmacies in Italy (in the cities of Crema and Arzignano-Vicenza).
6. President of the Association of the Community and Friends of Guinea-Bissau in Italy (Ascoagui) from 2007 – 2016, and from 2022 to the present.
7. Language Proficiency: Italian, Portuguese, English, and French – spoken and written fluently.

He decided to put his experiences and competencies at the service of his people and country to help and ensure the correct and appropriate use of medicines and other products related to the health and well-being of society, ensuring through the supply chain the delivery of safe, intact, and, above all, certified products to pharmacies.

Objective

First, it is necessary to emphasize that maintaining the quality of a pharmaceutical product throughout the entire life of each batch is recognized as essential for any safe and effective drug.

It is the supplier’s responsibility to ensure that the medicine remains in its original packaging, stored under specific conditions, and retains its characteristics until the expiration date.

The pharmacist has the specific responsibility of ensuring that stability requirements are maintained, as this is a sensitive area. It is urgent to incorporate training courses for pharmacists and technicians in this sector into the project packages.

In Guinea-Bissau, stability and storage requirements are (surely) less respected for medications prepared in pharmacies, where drugs arrive packaged in large bottles/jars and are then divided and placed into plastic bags, sometimes without the explanatory leaflet that provides information from the producer, who assumes responsibility for the product’s quality and safety. These are the facts.

In a country like Guinea-Bissau, with precarious socio-hygienic and sanitary conditions, the pharmacist’s role is crucial, even during the repackaging, distribution, and control of pharmaceutical specialties, and not only when delivering the medicine to the patient.

We (I) are aware that the challenges are enormous, and it takes time to reach certain levels, but we are convinced that to “overcome” the problems of medicines from dubious origin and the disparity in cost/price, it will be necessary to regulate the pharmaceutical system in Guinea-Bissau through new legislation in the field of medicine distribution policy. Therefore, it would be imperative for the government to legislate the opening of pharmacies and the sector’s users.

Guimeds aims to dispel the myth that “White man’s medicine doesn’t help / you go to the hospital to die” by distributing medicines through reliable sources with controlled and traceable origins; because your health and safety are priorities that cannot be compromised, and besides, it is a right guaranteed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Guimed was born and came with its extensive experience to revolutionize the sector and prevent unjust deaths because, in recent years, the number of pharmacies has increased exponentially but without pharmacists. So, on one hand, there is a lack of pharmaceutical professionals, and on the other hand, we add that in all of Guinea-Bissau, there is only one warehouse, a Central Depot that does not even meet the needs of the country’s main hospital (Simão Mendes National Hospital).

Therefore, the situation becomes increasingly complicated for the patient, who is “forced” to buy a medicine of dubious origin, without a guarantee of quality, safety, and efficacy.

Training, Empowerment, and Solidarity

To ensure the realization of this project and contribute to the improvement of the health and well-being of the population, Guimed is committed to the enhancement of human resources through:

• Training and empowering healthcare personnel.
• Updating workshops.
• Internships for undergraduate students.
• Screening for the detection of the most common chronic diseases that are claiming numerous lives, to act effectively and with the most precise treatments.
• Focusing on competencies as a crucial vector for the compass of well-being.

All these actions aim to contribute to increasing the average life expectancy of our compatriots. This objective will only be possible through close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, particularly with the Order of Guinean Doctors and Pharmacists.

Guimed, in its social policy, aims to be the bridge between traditional African/ethnobotanical medicine and modern medicine as contemplated in its logo (Kel ki di nos i mindjor).

Indeed, to reinforce this connection between tradition and modern science, an R&D laboratory for research and development, analysis, synthesis, and extraction of active principles contained in plants will be created.

For Guimed, innovation means recognizing, accepting, and above all, respecting local traditions (Kel ki di nos i mindjor). If in the past our grandparents chewed the part of the plant containing the drug (leaf, root, bark, etc.) to benefit from active principles, we now want to use scientific knowledge to extract the pharmacologically active principles that nature offers us, starting from the base that our ancestors provided and combining it with current scientific knowledge.

This honors most of the population of Guinea-Bissau who rely on alternative medicine for treatment. We will collaborate with PROMETRA INTERNATIONAL.

Vision and Mission

For Dr. Alfredo Sambú, this is a unique opportunity, as it will allow him to improve the quality of life for many people by providing access to the national market for controlled, certified, and quality products.

His mission is to support pharmacies or similar structures to help them fulfill their primary functions of socio-sanitary provisioning, by providing services, ensuring the availability of medicines, and guaranteeing daily professional deliveries.

Guimed, being a company of young, dynamic, and committed professionals, aims to:

• Support the Ministry of Health in creating a database of medicines.
• Create a Guimed website and a call center to handle various requests and provide comprehensive technical responses.
• Implement the wholesale distribution of medicines, parapharmaceutical products, and health products (for both pharmacies and other health structures);
• Provide scientific information to healthcare professionals.
• Offer internships for students in the field of pharmacy and beyond.
• Reduce the cost of medicines.
• Ensure timely delivery.
• Maintain proper drug conservation.
• Collaborate with the Ministry of Health to create a laboratory for analyzing and controlling the quality of medicines to certify the presence of active ingredients.
• Expand the availability of certified medicines marketed within the national territory.

To conclude, we would like to emphasize that the spirit and strength that led to the creation of Guimed lies in the passion derived from his profession and a desire to go beyond the limits of the profession to serve his people.

Dr. Alfredo Sambú is convinced and strongly believes that Guimed will be an innovative tool through which quality products can be distributed, allowing him to spread his knowledge to his people, with dedication and impartiality, ensuring the conscious use of medicines. He hopes that the authorities of Guinea-Bissau will believe in this great project that will bring benefits to the country.