Scientists ‘Challenge’ African Nations To Produce Own Generic Drugs for AIDS, Other Diseases
Scientists on Thursday "challenged" African nations to begin producing their own generic drugs to fight AIDS, malaria and other diseases at a conference on the human genome initiative, the AP/Orlando Sentinel reports. More than 300 scientists from 16 countries gathered in Stellenbosch, South Africa, for a conference focused on the use of knowledge of the human genome to combat diseases. British vaccine expert Gordon Dougan said that African nations "lag behind" other countries, such as Cuba and India, in producing their own generic medicines, according to the AP/Sentinel. "We need to reinvent local production of high quality generic vaccines," Dougan said, adding, "Countries are no longer producing their own vaccines, and this is why huge pharmaceutical companies can control the industry." Dr. Hoosen Coovadia, an HIV/AIDS researcher at the University of Natal, said that African governments should "translate scientific research into policy" in order to address the serious diseases facing their countries, according to the AP/Sentinel (Sylvester, AP/Orlando Sentinel, 3/20).
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