Ghana To Manufacture Anti-retroviral Drugs Locally

Plans are far advanced to start manufacturing anti-retroviral drugs in Ghana for people living with the deadly HIV/AIDS disease. Discussions between the government of Thailand and the Ghana government are almost completed on the modalities by which two pharmaceutical companies in the country will be assisted to produce the drugs.

The Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Professor Sakyi Awuku Amoah, told Joy News that the Thai government would also provide the necessary technical support and expertise for the pharmaceutical firms.

Prof Amoah said the commission believes that care and treatment of AIDS patients should go hand in hand with awareness creation. He also said the production of the anti-retroviral drugs in the country will reduce the high cost of the drugs for patients.

"The drugs are very expensive so we think that it is important to make them available. Whiles we go on with the educational campaign and step up the preventive drives, we must take care of those who already have the disease and this can be done by providing cheap drugs because they are so expensive people just cannot afford them."

Antiretroviral drugs are considered potent drugs for the management of AIDS but they come with great side effects. Prof. Amoah said the commission is taking steps to ensure that these side effects are addressed properly before production begins.

"Once you start someone on the anti-retroviral drugs, they must be on for as long as possible because once you stop, you accelerate their death", Prof Amoah said.

By Bennet Frimpong