Mozambique has approved the construction of a pharmaceutical plant that will provide drugs to treat HIV/ AIDS, malaria and other diseases. The drugs are also slated to be exported to other African countries.

The installation of the anti-retroviral medication plant is part of a cooperation strategy between Brazil and Mozambique and is being implemented by the Osvaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), which opened its offices in Maputo in October.

Brazilian Minister Miguel Jorge, who is heading a business delegation here, said as well as anti-retrovirals, the factory was also due to manufacture other generic drugs, including anti-malarial, antibiotics and tuberculosis medication.

According to Fiocruz – a health science and technology institute linked to the Brazilian government and which has carried out various cooperation projects in Mozambique – estimates are that the first phase of the factory will cost around $9 million, of which $2 million will be provided by the Mozambican government.

Brazil, which widely uses generic anti-retroviral drugs, has cut its AIDS mortality rate in half, will be engaged to monitor quality and transfer technology to the proposed plant.

The factory will produce a range of drugs, including generic antiretroviral drugs to fight HIV/AIDS.

The former Portuguese colony has been hard hit by the AIDS epidemic, with an estimated 1.6 million of its over 20 million people infected with HIV and only a fraction of these requiring ARV’s are on treatment — with most of the drugs imported from India.

Source African Press Agency

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