Local production of drugs will benefit all

Zim Now writer

If Zimbabwe promotes the production of herbal and generic medicines, the country and its citizens stand to benefit from the resultant reduced costs of drugs.

On the other hand, government’s medical import bill will be significantly reduced.

 has urged pharmaceutical companies to promote production of herbal and generic medicines to reduce the country's medical import bill.

Health and Child Care Deputy Minister John Mangwiro said this yesterday while addressing delegates at the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) annual general meeting in Harare.

The top health official warned companies that hold cannabis licences to desist from abusing them, emphasising that its use is restricted to medicinal and research purposes only.

"As government, we are promoting local production of both herbal and generic Western medicine; this reduces our foreign currency expenditure on importing health commodities," Mangwiro said.

He added that locals must take part if there are genuine socio-economic and environmental benefits that accrue from cannabis.

Mangwiro also said MCAZ has responded to the government's call of promoting local manufacturing of medicines and medical products through the establishment of the small business support (SBS) unit. The plan seeks to increase the ratio of medicines manufacturing to imported medicines ratio from 20:80 to 80:20.