BY FARAJA MGWABATI, 21 MAY 2012
COMMERCIAL production of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in Tanzania will start in August, after over six months delay.
The Arusha-based, Tanzania Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (TPIL), was to commence productions earlier this year, but finalisation of compliance processes led to the delay.
It is expected that the project will provide medicines for half of 1.3 million HIV-positive Tanzanians and reduce importation.
The TPIL Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ramadhani Madabida, said the drugs to be produced at the Arusha factory would be among the cheapest in the world. Mr Madabida told the 'Daily News' recently that the company has finalised installation of machines and equipment.
"We have done trials of the generic drugs we are about to produce," he said during an interview on the sideline of the Regional Health Conference organised by Germany Agency for Development Cooperation (GTZ) in Dar es Salaam last week. Tanzania has a national HIV prevalence of about 5.7 per cent, but levels are as high as 15 per cent in southern areas of Iringa and Mbeya.
Source:Tanzania Daily News
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