Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. Malawi

Local manufacture of anti-AIDS drugs considered

    JOHANNESBURG
    Malawi says it is considering the local production of generic antiretrovirals to ensure an affordable and sustainable supply. According to Malawian Health Minister Hetherwick Ntaba, the stricter patent laws recently passed in India were threatening his country's supply of low-cost versions of the life-prolonging drugs. Malawi began rolling out free anti-AIDS drugs last year, receiving most of its requirements from Indian generic drug manufacturers Ranbaxy Laboratories and Cipla, with funding from the Global AIDS Fund. Ntaba told London's Financial Times that after Ranbaxy and Cipla removed some of their antiretrovirals from the World Health Organisation's list of prequalified medications, his country had to wait up to three months to find a new supply.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join