BioSure, an Essex healthcare company that manufactured the first home testing HIV kit is expected to more than double its exporting sales in the next year as it expands in South Africa.

BioSure’s kits require the user to simply prick their finger for a small drop of blood, which is then placed in the device. The process detects specific antibodies in the blood sample and produces an extremely accurate result in just fifteen minutes. The company, which was founded in 2011, originally supplied its product to hospitals and doctors across the United Kingdom, and in 2015 started selling its kits directly to individuals.

BioSure completed its first international order last year, seeing its products sold in over 500 pharmacies in South Africa. Demand for its products in the region has grown month-on-month since, and combined with other markets, exporting accounts for 40% of the firm’s sales. This figure is set to grow to 90% in the next year as the business expand into new markets including Kenya and Brazil.

The business has worked closely with specialist trade advisers at the Department for International Trade (DIT) ahead of securing its first South African contract. DIT has also provided international market research and put BioSure in touch with distributors and potential buyers in East Africa and South America.

Brigette Bard, Founder of BioSure, said:

Our self-testing HIV kits are the first step in helping people get diagnosed and support the United Nations’ ambitious pledge to help end the HIV / AIDS epidemic. Its pledge aims that by 2020, 90% of all people diagnosed with HIV will receive treatment.

Exporting our kits was always part of our business plan – a goal we achieved last year with our first contract in South Africa where the virus is most prevalent. Since then, we’ve gone from strength to strength and now plan to establish our products in South America for the first time, as well as make inroads in East and West Africa.

When exporting to different international markets, it’s vital to ensure the regulatory and tax landscapes have been thoroughly researched. As a healthcare business, all our products go through rigorous testing to comply with that specific country’s regulation. Expert organisations like DIT can help navigate this process. If we can do it, so can many other local firms.

Alan Pain, Head of Exports for DIT East of England, said:

International expansion was always a great option for BioSure and we’re proud to have supported its venture in South Africa and beyond. Exporting is a multifaceted process, particularly for healthcare brands, so thorough research is vital.

Firms should ensure they have processes in place to deal with language barriers, as well as differing tax and regulatory landscapes. While exporting can sometimes seem daunting for firms, particularly those with limited resources, they shouldn’t feel like they have to go through the process alone.

We have more than 30 international trade advisers located across the East of England to support ambitious businesses looking to tap into the emerging opportunities overseas. The support is out there, and I’d urge anyone who is interested to get in touch.

Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced a £215 million package of funding for research that could transform the lives of millions of people who are living with a range of conditions, including life-long illnesses, mental health issues and obesity.

Leading academics and technology experts will be able to apply for research funding to develop health solutions for the future that give patients greater independence and choice about how they manage their healthcare.

An investment of £150 million will fund research over the next 5 years to tackle important emerging issues, including the pressures of an ageing population and the increasing demands on the NHS.

The remaining £65 million will go towards 13 National Institute for Health Research policy research units that will play a vital role in making sure the government and arm’s length bodies have the best possible information and evidence available when making policy decisions about health and social care.

The units will cover a range of specialisms and conditions, including:

• behavioural science
• adult social care
• older people and frailty
• cancer awareness, screening and early diagnosis

Each university-based unit will host a multidisciplinary team of researchers from collaborating institutions to create a critical mass of experts for research in priority areas for health and social care policy.

An extra £3 million will also be invested in the creation of a new research leader programme for nurses and midwives. Their role will help to influence new approaches to health and care and improve patient experience.

Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

As the NHS celebrates its 70th birthday, more people than ever before are living longer lives thanks to the dedication of hardworking staff. It is therefore vital we harness technology to develop the next generation of innovative treatments as part of the government’s long-term plan for the NHS.

That’s why I want our world-leading academics, researchers and technology experts to work with frontline staff to develop the innovations which not only allow people to live longer, but also to lead healthier lives, so the NHS can continue to provide world-class care to all.

Health Minister Lord O’Shaughnessy said:

With a growing and ageing population, maintaining a world-class NHS depends on harnessing the discoveries of cutting-edge research and rapidly bringing them into everyday healthcare.

The UK has a proud tradition of ground-breaking medical R&D and this funding means our country can continue to lead the world.

An Economics Director at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) since 2014, Ms Bon has led the economics on a number of competition investigations, including the retail banking market inquiry, Ladbrokes-Coral merger and Tesco-Booker merger.

She holds a PhD in Economics from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, and a DEA in Economics and Political Science from Sciences Po.

Mike Walker, Chief Economic Adviser at the CMA, said:

I am delighted that Julie is going to be our new Deputy Chief Economic Adviser.

Julie brings a formidable array of talents to the role. She is an excellent economist, has deep institutional knowledge of the UK competition regime and is highly respected, both within and outside the organisation. I am sure she will be hugely successful in the role.

All charities must keep their details up-to-date by law. We will be improving the current service so you can keep a regular check on your details, and update them when they change.

Because of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) we must let people know if any of their personal information is updated on the register of charities.

The simplest and quickest way of doing this is to email people when their data is updated.

We also use email to help trustees comply with charity law and run their charity effectively, by sending important regulatory alerts and updates.

We will be asking you to check that the register details for your trustees remain up to date. This includes adding any new trustees and their contact details. You also need to remove the details of any trustees who are no longer involved with your charity.

As part of service improvements we will ask that all trustees supply their email address, or confirm that they do not have one.

We are planning for the improved update charity details service to go live later this summer, at the same time as the 2018 annual return.

Minister Mark Field and Joanna Roper have held talks with senior ministers in Dhaka and have called for greater humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya refugee community, particularly to help support the provision of education for refugees and host communities.

Over 706,364 people have fled from their homes in Burma’s Rakhine State into Bangladesh since August 2017, joining around 340,000 Rohingya who had previously fled.

In a visit to Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, where over a million refugees are living in crowded and unsafe refugee camps, Minister Field and Joanna Roper met refugee families and community leaders to learn about the persecution they suffered in Rakhine, and to hear about the challenges that life in the camps presents. They saw first-hand the damage caused by recent monsoon rains, and the work of the Government of Bangladesh and humanitarian agencies to protect the refugees.

They visited a UNICEF child-friendly site where they saw the efforts being made to keep young people safe and heard about efforts to provide education for refugee children. They also visited community and health centres, and met with a site management team to hear about the UK’s contribution to monsoon preparedness. Joanna Roper was invited to see a safe space for women at the camp, and heard about their experiences of displacement.

Tomorrow (1st July) in Dhaka, Minister Field and Joanna Roper will hold talks with senior ministers on the Rohingya crisis, and the wider situation in Bangladesh. They will hear how Bangladesh is making strong inroads into providing twelve years of quality education for women and girls, and visit a factory where they will speak to the female workforce about labour rights.

Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field MP said:

What I witnessed today was truly heartbreaking, and only redoubles my determination to support the refugees and keep up the pressure on the Burmese authorities.

I call on the international community to work with Bangladesh to step up support for the refugees, both during this monsoon season and in the longer term through the provision of education and livelihoods.

The UK remains a leading donor to the crisis, committing £129m since September last year to support the refugees and vulnerable host communities.

We will continue to use international pressure and dialogue with the Burmese authorities to make progress, including through our support for the EU sanctions measures announced on 25 June.

UK Special Envoy for Gender Equality Joanna Roper said:

The stories we heard in the camps of violence against the Rohingya in Burma are deeply disturbing, but I was moved by the efforts being made to provide support to women and girls in the camps, as well as the learning centres for Rohingya children, displaying a thirst for education despite all that they have endured at such a young age.

Girls’ education is the right thing to do: women and girls have the right to be educated, equal, empowered and safe. As the Foreign Secretary said at the UN Human Rights Council on 18 June, we must leave no girl behind and enable all girls to receive 12 years of quality education. That message is equally important for Rohingya girls to hear.

Further information

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