The Zambian government on Friday declared a five-year emergency over the Aids pandemic to allow for cheap generic anti-retroviral drugs to be produced locally.
The Aids emergency will be in force from August 2004 to July 2009 and local drugs manufacturers will be allowed to produce cheap Aids medication for local consumption.
”In view of the pandemic and the high cost of patented anti-retroviral drugs… the minister has signed a statutory instrument (law) to declare an emergency,” said commerce permanent secretary Davidson Chilipamushi in a statement.
He said the law will allow for the manufacture of life-prolonging Aids drugs during the five-year emergency period but the medication cannot be exported.
”Companies, persons who wish to manufacture, use or sell any generic drugs will henceforth require a written authorisation, during the declared period of emergency,” Chilipamushi said.
Zambia is one of the countries in southern Africa, which have been hard hit by Aids, with one in five adults infected with HIV and Aids.
About 12 000 people are currently benefitting from subsidised anti-Aids drugs and the government hopes to put another 100 000 people on the programme by the end of next year. – Sapa-AFP