What Surgipharm does

Surgipharm Uganda Limited is a privately held pharmaceutical and medical supplies distributor founded in 1997 and headquartered in the Ntinda Industrial Area of Kampala, Uganda. The company imports, exports, distributes and markets a diversified health product portfolio organised across eight segments: branded pharmaceuticals, generic pharmaceuticals, OTC pharmaceuticals, FMCG, surgical procedures, diagnostics and medical systems, hospital consumables, and veterinary products. Its portfolio comprises over 600 items sourced from more than 40 international manufacturers including GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Roche, Bayer, Sanofi, MSD, Becton Dickinson, Smith & Nephew and Medtronic, distributed across Uganda and Rwanda from cold chain storage facilities in Kampala.

The operating model is B2B enterprise field sales, with dedicated Medical Representative teams selling into government health facilities, NGOs, hospitals, research institutions, large wholesalers and retailers through a tender-based procurement process that the company treats as a core activity. Revenue is generated through product distribution (transactional margins), special procurement services for institutional clients, and value-add services including medical training, health consulting, equipment installation and maintenance, technical consulting and after-sales support, plus 24-hour emergency supply availability. ISO 9001 certification via IQNet supports tender prequalification and quality assurance.

Strategically, Surgipharm is integrated into several donor-funded and government public health programs in Uganda, including the ARV Access For Africa (AA4A) initiative with i+solutions and the Dutch Government, the Affordable Medicines Facility - Malaria (AMFM) as a first-line buyer for the Global Fund, and the Consortium For ACT Private Sector Subsidy (CAPSS) with Medicines for Malaria Venture and the Ugandan Ministry of Health. The company is a privately held Ugandan private limited company with no disclosed parent, investors, funding rounds, revenue figures, or public management roster; ownership and shareholder structure constitute a material data gap.

Name

Surgipharm

Legal name

Surgipharm Uganda Limited

Website

https://surgipharm.co.ug

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Surgipharm Uganda Limited is a Kampala-headquartered pharmaceutical and medical supplies distributor founded in 1997, importing and distributing 600+ products from 40+ international manufacturers to hospitals, government health organisations, NGOs, wholesalers and retailers across Uganda and Rwanda.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Distribution

NAICS

Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (4242), Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423450)

SIC

Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122), Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Government & Public-Sector Pharmaceutical Supply (Tender/Prime Vendor) (HLAIAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical Supplies & Consumables Wholesale (Non-Device) (CRAOAHAE), Health Supply Chain, Procurement & Access to Medicines (BPADAIAI), Vaccines & Public Health Product Distribution (CRAOAHAI), OTC Medicines & Consumer Health Products Distribution (CRAOAHAB), Pet Health & Wellness Distribution (Supplements, OTC, Preventives) (CRAOAKAC)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical distribution
• Medical supplies
• Healthcare logistics
• Diagnostic equipment
• Cold chain storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Distribution: Importation, exportation, distribution and marketing of pharmaceutical products including branded pharmaceuticals, generic pharmaceuticals, OTC products, FMCG, surgical products, diagnostics equipment, hospital consumables, and veterinary products. Revenue generated from product sales through distribution network covering Uganda and Rwanda.
2. Professional Services: Medical training programmes, health consulting services, equipment installation and maintenance, technical consulting, and after-sales support services offered to customers.
3. Special Procurement Services: Tender-focused procurement services for institutional customers, including development and review of procurement plans, documentation preparation, and supply of broad range of products at competitive prices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Surgipharm imports, exports, distributes, and markets pharmaceutical products, medical devices, diagnostics, surgical supplies, hospital consumables, OTC medicines, FMCG health products, and veterinary medicines across Uganda and Rwanda. The portfolio covers more than 600 items sourced from 40+ international manufacturers, supported by cold-chain storage, equipment installation and maintenance, training, consulting, and special procurement services for institutional customers.

Product overview

Surgipharm Uganda Limited operates as a pharmaceutical and diagnostics supply company with a diversified portfolio spanning eight business segments: Branded Pharmaceuticals (from GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Roche, Bayer, Sanofi, MSD, Adcock Ingram, Besins, Merck, Organon), Generic Pharmaceuticals, OTC Pharmaceuticals, Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Surgical Procedures (including Smith & Nephew orthopaedic products), Diagnostics & Medical Systems (Hemocue, NIHON KOHDEN, BECKMAN COULTER), Hospital Consumables, and Veterinary Products. Their product portfolio consists of over 600 items from over 40 international pharmaceutical and medical supply companies. Complementing their product offerings, they provide related services including Medical Training, Health Consulting, Equipment Installation & Maintenance, Special Procurement Services, Technical Consulting, and After Sales Support. The company distributes throughout Uganda and Rwanda.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600 product items available
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• i+solutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner in ARV Access For Africa (AA4A) initiative with i+solutions and the Dutch government. The partnership aims to improve access to quality healthcare services in Uganda through provision of buffer stock of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs supplied to organisations at not-for-profit prices.
• Dutch GovernmentcoreOthersFunding and support partner in ARV Access For Africa (AA4A) initiative to improve access to antiretroviral drugs in Uganda through not-for-profit pricing.
• Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss not-for-profit public-private partnership participant in Consortium For ACT Private Sector Subsidy (CAPSS) with Ugandan Ministry of Health to provide highly subsidised and repackaged artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) through private sector in four districts in eastern Uganda.
• Global FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost and manager of Affordable Medicines Facility - Malaria (AMFM), an innovative financing mechanism designed to expand access to the most effective malaria treatment (ACTs). Surgipharm is a first line buyer for Uganda working with manufacturers to avail subsidised ACTs.
• Ugandan Ministry of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner in multiple initiatives including National Injection Safety Campaign, Consortium For ACT Private Sector Subsidy (CAPSS), and various health programmes. Represents the company in national health policy implementation.
• Becton DickinsoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership in National Injection Safety Campaign working to reduce transmission of communicable diseases through stocking and availing innovative syringes and sharps collector products through policy implementation and sensitising programmes.
• Smith & NephewcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for orthopaedic and spinal procedures focusing on introduction and facilitation of modern procedures through hands-on training and investment in requisite implants and instrumentation.
• MedtroniccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Smith & Nephew focusing on orthopaedic and spinal procedures including hands-on training and investment in implants and instrumentation resulting in lower end-user costs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• mPharma: mPharma is a Ghana-headquartered, venture-backed healthcare company that operates pharmacy retail and pharmaceutical distribution across multiple African countries and is expanding into Uganda and neighboring markets. It overlaps with Surgipharm in pharmaceutical distribution and supplier relationship management for branded and generic medicines in sub-Saharan Africa.

Broad incumbents

• Cipla: Cipla is one of India's largest pharmaceutical manufacturers with established distribution operations across Africa, including branded ARVs and generics in Uganda. It is comparable to Surgipharm as both a supplier principal and an indirect competitor in branded and generic pharmaceutical distribution across East Africa.
• Novartis (Sandoz Division): Novartis and its Sandoz generics division operate commercial pharmaceutical distribution in East Africa, including branded and generic medicines in Uganda. It is comparable to Surgipharm both as a multinational principal whose products Surgipharm distributes and as a broader pharma player operating in the same regional pharmaceutical market.

Direct peers

• Imperial Health Sciences: Imperial Health Sciences, part of Imperial Group, is the largest pharmaceutical and FMCG wholesaler in East and Southern Africa, operating cold-chain distribution across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and beyond. It directly competes with Surgipharm in pharmaceutical and medical supplies wholesale distribution in Uganda and Rwanda, with a comparable multi-segment portfolio and government/institutional customer base.
• Beta Healthcare International: Beta Healthcare International is a Kenya-based pharmaceutical manufacturer and distributor with a broad portfolio across branded pharma, OTC, FMCG, and veterinary products across East Africa. It is comparable to Surgipharm as a multi-segment East African pharma player serving both institutional and retail channels.
• Medsource Group: Medsource is a pharmaceutical and medical supplies wholesaler operating across East Africa, supplying hospitals, pharmacies, and NGOs with branded and generic medicines. It is comparable to Surgipharm in target customer mix (institutional/NGO/government) and product breadth across pharmaceutical and medical consumables in the East African region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surgipharm-uganda-ltd-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Surgipharm