São Paulo – Wama Diagnóstica, a Brazilian producer of clinical diagnostic kits, has already exported to three Arab countries and wants to sell more to the region. The company makes products for laboratory testing and has been participates in Arab Health, a health sector fair held annually in Dubai, since 2010. As a result, the brand has shipped products to the Emirates, Egypt and Iraq. There are also talks with Yemen.
"We work with products for medium and small laboratories, which is the profile of Africa and the Middle East," says Fernando Bandoni, responsible for international sales at Wama Diagnóstica. The trader says that the company has been much sought after participation at Arab Health, which has Abimo support, and aims to continue exhibiting at the show, whose next edition should take place in January 2014.
To Dubai, Wama exported products soon after participation in the first edition of the fair, in 2010. Then, the company started selling to Egypt, for about two years, until 2012, and it is currently exporting to Iraq. Sales to the Iraqis are through a partner that offers products in public tenders. Two deals have already been closed with Iraq, both this year.
Wama, which is headquartered in the city of São Carlos, São Paulo state, currently has 0.7% of revenue tied to exports. The goal, however, is to reach 1.5% this year, according Bandoni. Currently, sales go to six countries, mainly in Latin America. In addition to opening the market in the Arab world, the company is also working on expanding its presence in Latin America and entering new ones, like the United States.
Participation in fairs is one of the ways that the company uses to expand and gain clients abroad. This year, in addition to Arab Health, Wama also participated in Africa Health, in South Africa, and should head to the Annual Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo (AACC), in the United States, and also to Medica, in Germany. The company also participates in international fairs in Brazil, where it makes contacts with importers.
The kits manufactured by Wama are sold in Brazil, to distributors and also directly to laboratories. Most of the products – 90% – are turned to immunology, for identification of infectious and autoimmune diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis, among others. The company manufactures test strips and chemical urine products for haematology tests on blood clotting, among others. The company also supplies pregnancy tests, sold at chemists, directly to the end consumer.
Wama is a Brazilian privately held company and was established in 1991. All activities, both administrative and manufacturing, are centred in São Carlos.
Contact
Wama Diagnóstica
Telephone: (+55 16) 3377-9977
Site: www.wamadiagnostica.com.br
*Translated by Mark Ament
