“Africa shouldn’t just import drugs all the time,” AU Commisioner for Social Affairs, Bience Gawanas, told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference of African ministers for health in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
“Most of our HIV/AIDS drugs come from sources outside
Michel Sidibé, the new head of the United Nations HIV/AIDS agency and the first African to hold the position, has said ensuring all Africans who suffer from the virus have access to drugs will be his priority.
Most infected Africans have no access to treatment, though a few countries were doing exceptionally well, Gawanas said.
“Some countries in
African economies would profit from the drugs being made locally, Gawanas said.
An estimated 33 million people globally are infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS, and most of them live in