Namibia to produce cheap HIV/AIDS drugs

Namibia has enlisted the services of a local pharmaceutical company to manufacture generic HIV/AIDS drugs, local newspaper The Namibian reported on Tuesday. The decision follows discussions on Monday between the UN Special Envoy on AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, and the country's cabinet. Lewis urged the government to apply for assistance from the Global AIDS Fund in setting up the manufacturing plant. He said the local manufacture of generic drugs would make treatment easily accessible to the large number of Namibians living with HIV/AIDS. UNAIDS estimates that 22.5 percent of the country's adults between the age of 15 to 49 are living with HIV/AIDS.