Africa needs access to affordable medicine

“Access to healthcare is a constitutional right for all citizens of this continent. Pharmaceuticals play a significant role in attaining this goal,” Minister Tshabalala-Msimang said, at the African Union Technical Committee conference held in Benoni, South Africa.

She said the local manufacturing of drugs would only result in the desired outcome if issues of affordability, effective and efficient distribution channels and quality were addressed.

Attended by local and international pharmaceutical experts, the aim of the two-day conference is to review a plan that will look at the manufacturing of drugs in Africa.

The minister said, if African production of generic drugs is given the go-ahead, producers will need to seek permission from the World Trade Organisation to trade the drugs across borders.

In April 2004, South Africa established a medical research unit to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of traditional African medicines.

The unit was also responsible to develop new remedies for chronic conditions, safeguard indigenous knowledge and provide consumer information and protection.

The Institute for African Traditional Medicines researches and evaluates African traditional medicines and explores their potential to help address the health and economic needs of the country and the continent.

The opening of the institute was the result of a research programme initiated by the Health Department and the Medical Research Council to test the effectiveness and safety of traditional medicines.

The institute also protects people from unscrupulous conduct and unproven medical claims within the traditional healing sector.

In 2004, the World Health Organisation estimated that about 80% of Africans were using traditional medicines in comparison to 60% of the world's population in general.

The WHO also indicates that there are about 200,000 traditional healers practising in South Africa.

Although modern medicines are available in most countries on the continent, traditional medicines have often remained popular for historical and cultural reasons.

It has stated that traditional medicines need to be evaluated for safety and effectiveness before they can be incorporated into, or excluded from, national health policies.

The conference was attended by about 100 delegates, including experts from the World Intellectual Property Organisation, African Regional Industrial Property Organisation, representatives from the WHO, United Nations and local experts in pharmaceuticals.

Article published courtesy of BuaNews