Nigerian government has urged African countries to work towards
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 Family Health, Dr. Wapada Balami
made the call while meeting with a delegation from‘Champion for an
Aids-Free Generation in Africa, led by the former President of Botwana,
Festus Mogae, who were on advocacy visit to Nigeria.
Adewole said that 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 other parts of
the world, but if we manufacture indigenously we would reduce cost
because importing is more expensive than manufacturing”, he said.
He advised the delegation to seek the
support of WHO’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 Federal Government’s commitment in providing 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, the Leader of the
delegation, Mogae, said that political commitments from top government
officials are prerequisite for achieving the fight against HIV/AIDS.
He said that leaders must be involved
not only in treatment but also in preventive measures. There should be
proper coordination among Federal, State and Local Governments as well
as all agencies working on HIV/AIDS.
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
OumarKonaré, former President of Mali, Benjamin Mkapa, former President
of the United Republic of Tanzania, KgalemaMotlanthe, 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.
Martins Ifijeh
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