Mozambique to open drug plant
Thématique :
mozambique
By Charles Mangwiro Maputo, June 15, 2008
Mozambique has approved the construction of a $23 million (R187 million) pharmaceutical plant that will manufacture drugs to treat HIV/Aids, malaria and other conditions.
Mozambique's deputy health minister, Aida Libombo, said on Friday: "We are in a process of organising the operational process for the installation of the ARV [antiretroviral] drug factory.
"Everything has already been agreed upon. There is no doubt about it. We are definitely going to install it."
Mozambique plans to raise funding for the plant from international donors. Libombo did not say when the factory would start production. It was not clear if any major pharmaceutical companies would be involved in the operation.
The country has been hard hit by the Aids epidemic, with an estimated 1.6 million of its 20 million people HIV-positive. Roughly 500 Mozambicans are infected with HIV each day, and only a fraction of those who need antiretrovirals are on treatment.
The offer to build the plant was first raised by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during his official visit to Mozambique in 2004.
Da Silva said he wanted drugs from the plant to be made available to other African nations as well.
Brazil, a leading drug manufacturer, says the use of generic antiretrovirals has cut its Aids mortality rate in half.
Brazil would monitor quality and transfer technology to the plant, which would produce a range of drugs, Libombo said.
Mozambique is struggling to find money to rebuild its dilapidated healthcare system, which was neglected during the 17-year long civil war that ended in 1992.
The Mozambican government said earlier this week that not enough people were coming forward to get antiretrovirals. It said it planned to broaden its HIV/Aids education programmes to encourage those infected to access the drugs.
Mozambique has approved the construction of a $23 million (R187 million) pharmaceutical plant that will manufacture drugs to treat HIV/Aids, malaria and other conditions.
Mozambique's deputy health minister, Aida Libombo, said on Friday: "We are in a process of organising the operational process for the installation of the ARV [antiretroviral] drug factory.
"Everything has already been agreed upon. There is no doubt about it. We are definitely going to install it."
Mozambique plans to raise funding for the plant from international donors. Libombo did not say when the factory would start production. It was not clear if any major pharmaceutical companies would be involved in the operation.
The country has been hard hit by the Aids epidemic, with an estimated 1.6 million of its 20 million people HIV-positive. Roughly 500 Mozambicans are infected with HIV each day, and only a fraction of those who need antiretrovirals are on treatment.
The offer to build the plant was first raised by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during his official visit to Mozambique in 2004.
Da Silva said he wanted drugs from the plant to be made available to other African nations as well.
Brazil, a leading drug manufacturer, says the use of generic antiretrovirals has cut its Aids mortality rate in half.
Brazil would monitor quality and transfer technology to the plant, which would produce a range of drugs, Libombo said.
Mozambique is struggling to find money to rebuild its dilapidated healthcare system, which was neglected during the 17-year long civil war that ended in 1992.
The Mozambican government said earlier this week that not enough people were coming forward to get antiretrovirals. It said it planned to broaden its HIV/Aids education programmes to encourage those infected to access the drugs.
