MEA Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Size

MEA Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Analysis

The Middle East and Africa (MEA) pharmaceutical packaging market is booming due to the growing spread of new HIV infections, increased cross-border trade, and increased exports of plastics and rubbers from the MEA region and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.7%. The rapid increase in the prevalence of numerous community and non-communicable diseases such as AIDS, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory diseases are some of the key factors driving the growth of the pharmaceutical packaging industry in the MEA region.

• The Middle East region accounts for a meager portion of 3.5% of the overall pharmaceutical packaging market. Over the last few years, plastics have emerged as the most widely used packaging materials in the pharmaceutical market owing to incremental technological changes and growth in generic and specialty drugs in the pharmaceutical sector. The increasing need for anti-counterfeiting techniques to protect the interests of patients has further strengthened the growth of pharmaceutical packaging.
• The growth prospects of the study market are expected to be dependent on the overall growth of the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector in GCC and other neighboring regions. An overall rise in living standards, coupled with an increase in the aging population and the endeavors of several governments towards improving their healthcare sector, can be seen as major factors contributing to the growth of the pharmaceutical sector in this region. Moreover, the role of packaging materials in the pharma sector has greatly evolved over the last few decades.
• They are now expected to comply with several regulatory standards and provide product information and ensure proper drug delivery in case of self-administering drugs. The pharmaceutical packaging materials have been distinctly categorized into primary, secondary, and closure systems. Pharmaceutical companies have to be mindful of their target patient base, product stability requirements, commercial viability, and regulatory considerations while opting for plastic packaging materials.
• The major drivers for growth in this market include growing health awareness in the region, proactive measures against counterfeit products, and increased contribution of nanotechnology and biotechnology practices in the pharmaceutical sector.
• The advent of new healthcare medicines and devices to counter endemics, respiratory diseases, and other prevalent ailments is one of the major drivers for growth in the pharmaceutical plastic packaging market. Conversely, environmental concerns related to the use of plastics and constant changes in compliance standards are expected to impede the growth in this market.
• In the Middle East and Africa, particularly South Africa, an unprecedented number of COVID-19 cases have resulted in the suspension of the medical packaging business. The decline in other medical product production sectors had a negative impact on medical packaging demand in the first month of 2020. Moreover, the decrease in the total production of packaging materials led to the termination of the medical packaging material production project, which led to a decrease in the demand for medical packaging materials. Similar trends were observed in other countries in the Middle East and Africa, namely Saudi Arabia and the UAE. However, the country is likely to overcome the decline in demand in this way, and economic activity is expected to recover, especially in early 2021.