Guinea-Bissau Implements Advanced Track & Trace Tech for Pharmaceuticals

Antares Vision , Italian multinational, leading provider of Track & Trace and quality control systems, which guarantee the safety of products and the transparency of supply chains through integrated data management, announces that on September 19th, 2025, Guinea-Bissau’s Minister of Public Health, Dr. Augusto Gomes, signed into force the national Track & Trace mandate, establishing one of the most ambitious pharmaceutical traceability frameworks in West Africa.

Building on the landmark agreement signed in February 2025 and the Minister’s official visit to AV Group’s headquarters in May, the collaboration is expanding into new strategic areas. These include establishing local pharmaceutical manufacturing capacities supported by Serialisation-as-a-Service solutions and extending traceability requirements into the medical devices sector, further reinforcing Guinea-Bissau’s role as a regional leader in digital health.

“We are proud to support this milestone and to announce the next phase of cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health. Pharmaceutical safety and transparency are the foundation of a modern healthcare system. With the National Drug Catalogue at the center of ARFAME’s oversight role, Guinea-Bissau is creating a model that ensures compliance, protects patients and provides sustainable access to medicines.”

– Gianluca Mazzantini, CEO, Antares Vision Group

“This partnership demonstrates how innovation and co-operation can transform healthcare. By expanding into manufacturing, medical devices and digital services, we are helping Guinea-Bissau set a benchmark for the region. Importantly, with the mandate now signed into force, the program is already generating first revenues in 2025, underscoring both its immediate impact and its long-term sustainability.”

– Sebastian Neuwirth, Head of Government Solutions, Antares Vision Group

At the heart of this program is the National Drug Catalogue, a government platform delivered through AV Group’s Government Solutions suite. Managed by ARFAME (Autoridade Reguladora de Farmácia, Laboratório e Medicamentos), the National Drug Catalogue serves as the single authoritative repository for all medicine and drug related data in the country. It ensures real-time regulatory oversight, improves decision-making, and strengthens patient safety by centralizing product approvals and supply chain transparency.

A key upcoming milestone will be the launch of the AVGroupHub in early October 2025. This digital platform will open registration for all pharmaceutical manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, distributors and dispensers, in full alignment with the regulation that comes into force in March 2026. The mandate triggers registration activities, generating first revenues for AV Group in 2025.

To protect public health and secure the pharmaceutical supply chain, the Ministry of Public Health, together with inspection and regulatory agencies, is also implementing a robust inspection framework. This is expected to severely reduce illicit import activities and product diversion, ensuring that patients receive only safe, authorized medicines.

Looking forward, Antares Vision Group is engaging with international donor organizations to align resources and explore additional digital healthcare solutions and services tailored to the needs of Guinea-Bissau.