The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has urged African countries to produce HIV/AIDs drugs locally in order to reduce the amount of money spent on the importation of the drugs.
He made the call at a meeting with a delegation from the UNAIDS Champion for an AIDS-Free Generation in Africa led by the chairman, a former President of Botwana, Festus Mogae, during their advocacy visit to the country.
Represented by the Director, Family Health, Dr. Wapada Balami, Adewole said that countries procuring HIV drugs from outside the continent were taking large amounts of resources to other parts of the world, but that if they manufactured indigenously, they would reduce costs.
He advised the delegation to seek the support of WHO’s pre-qualification in the production of HIV drugs locally, adding that if at least one African country manufactures the drugs, other countries may buy from there and the cost would reduce.
Mogae said political commitment from top government officials was necessary for achieving the fight against HIV/AIDs.
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