Health
Uganda: Country to Get First Batch of Local ARVs Soon
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Mar 31, 2008 - 4:53:51 PM

THE FIRST BATCH OF LOCALLY produced generic antiretroviral (ARV) and anti-malarial drugs are expected at Uganda's Ministry of Health in two months' time. The delivery will see the cost of the drugs drop from $15 to $9 and $9 to $2 per dose respectively.

The drugs are to be produced by a $30 million modern pharmaceutical factory in Kampala, under a partnership project between Quality Chemical Industries Ltd (QCIL), a local company, and India's Cipla - one of the world's leading generic manufacturers, which owns 50 per cent of the venture.

Cipla's products are household names in about 20 countries in Africa. Founded in 1997, QCIL is Uganda's leading life sciences company covering veterinary, environmental and human health.

The plant, the first of its kind in the region was commissioned in October last year in Luzira. It will mainly manufacture ARVs and anti-malarial drugs. It employs 300 people directly and 2,000 indirectly and is expected to earn an estimated $36 million per year.

"We are currently doing validation production and commercial production should roll out in the next three to four weeks," Emmanuel Katongole, managing director said.

"We should be delivering our first order within the next two months to the Ministry of Health."

The government and QCIL signed an agreement in 2006 that committed government to buy ARVs and anti-malarial drugs from the Luzira-based company.

But Dr Nathan Kenya-Mugisha, Director of Health Services in the ministry, said.

"What we want are quality products at prices that are competitive with the products from other manufacturers. We are happy that we have a local manufacturer and we will do all our best to support local production, because it will ease the procurement hassles we go through abroad."

HIV and Aids and malaria constitute the biggest threat to the health of Ugandans and account for over 50 per cent of the national health budget.

The government has committed itself to provide free ARVs and free artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) drugs to all citizens who need them, but this is only possible if the remedies are affordable. Uganda imports most of its drugs from Brazil, Thailand, India and China.

Source: The East African (Kenya)