Zimbabwe urged to manufacture ARVs as supplies run dry

21/08/2017 00:00:00
	by Staff reporter

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THE National Aids Council (NAC) says it has failed to procure antiretroviral drugs since the beginning of the year despite having budgeted $20 million for the essential supplies.

NAC operations director Raymond Yekeye said they have not made any procurement since the beginning of the year as they have not been allocated foreign currency by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) to secure the orders.

Aids activists have now called upon the RBZ to prioritise the drugs and all health related items as this only affects the poor people living with HIV.

Reports said people living with HIV are now being given one week of ARV supply instead of the three month’s supply.

Now, NAC has called on the government to consider manufacturing the drugs locally.

NAC finance director Albert Maneji said more than $16 million money being used to procure ARVs outside the country should be injected into local pharmaceuticals so that they can be able to manufacture ARV drugs.

“There is need to start manufacturing our own ARV treatment drugs,” said Maneji in an interview.

“We will be able to manufacture more drugs if the money we are using to buy drugs is injected into local companies.”

NAC procure ARVS from India.