Ballymena healthcare firm strengthens position in Libya

The Ballymena-based specialist in self-diagnostic tests, which has taken part in a series of Invest Northern Ireland missions to markets in Africa and the Gulf states particularly Saudi Arabia, gained its first contract in Libya in 2011 for its SureSign range of diagnostic kits, now on sale in over 40 countries worldwide.

The kits are used for home tests for conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes and blood pressure and are now being sold in pharmacies throughout Libya.

The contract positions CIGA for significant potential growth following political developments in the marketplace last year.

The restoration of business with Libya was announced by Christian Berglund, CIGA’s International Sales Manager, and welcomed by Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI Trade Director.

Dr Vicky Kell said: “CIGA’s commitment and determination to expand business in Libya are now producing tangible benefits. The focus of the company on this market has facilitated the identification and exploitation of opportunities. Such opportunities exist for other Northern Ireland companies across a broad range of sectors.

“We recently held a very successful briefing for around 50 local companies about Libya in Belfast and will be exploring further initiatives to help them to grasp opportunities there”.

Mr Berglund said: “We are delighted to be shipping our products again to Libya after the political changes there recently. While sending products there during the period of unrest was impossible, we kept in close touch with our business contacts in Tripoli over the past year to ensure that we were ready to supply kits when the distributor was in a position to distribute them to his customers.

“It’s a market that we are keen to develop as a springboard for growth across what is becoming an important region for us. Conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are also a concern in Libya and parts of North Africa and the Middle East,” he added.