FG calls on African countries to manufacture HIV/ AIDS drugs

The Nigerian Government has urged African countries to work towards the production of HIV/AIDs drugs locally to reduce the amount of money spent on importation of the drugs.
The Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole, represented by the Director of Family Health, Dr. Wapada Balami, made the call while meeting with a delegation from Champion for AID-Free Generation in Africa, led by the Chairman, Festus Mogae, former President of Botwana.
The group was on an advocacy visit to Nigeria.
Adewole said said African Countries, be it regional or as a whole, should look at the possibility of manufacturing indigenous HIV drugs.
“Countries procuring HIV drugs from outside Africa are taking large amount of resources to another parts of the world, but if we manufacture indigenously we would reduce cost because importing is more expensive than manufacturing,” he said.
Adewole advised the delegation to seek the support of the World Health Organisation’s pre-qualification in the production of HIV drugs locally.
He said if at least one African country is manufacturing, other countries may procure from there and the cost would be reduced.
While assuring the People Living With HIV/AIDs of the Federal Government’s commitment to provide adequate care, he called for increase in the budgetary allocation to HIV and AIDs considering the fact that the number of people living with the virus in the country is high.
In his remarks, Mogae said political commitments from top government officials are prerequisite for achieving the fight against HIV/AIDs.
He said leaders must be involved not only in treatment, but also in preventive measures.
He said there should be proper coordination among Federal, State and Local Governments as well as all agencies working on HIV/AID.
A champion for an AIDS-Free Generation is a distinguished group of former presidents and influential African leaders committed to an AIDS-free generation.
They support regional leaders towards ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat.
Other members of the Champion, Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi; Edwin Cameron, South Africa Supreme Court of Appeal Judge; Joaquim A. Chissano, former President of Mozambique; Kenneth D. Kaunda, former President of Zambia; Alpha Oumar Konaré, former President of Mali; Benjamin Mkapa, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania; Kgalema Motlanthe, former Deputy President of South Africa; Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria; Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus Cape Town and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Speciosa Wandira-Kasibwe, former Vice President of Uganda; Miriam Were, former Chairperson of the Kenya National AIDS Control Council; and Hifikepunye Pohamba, former President of Namibia.