UNAids asks African countries to explore new partnership

continent.
Speaking during the 16th ordinary summit of UEMOA presidents that was held in Lome, Sidibe pointed out the need to explore for new partnerships with countries such as Brazil, China and India for technology transfer so that African countries can start producing medicine.
He also raised the issue of new mechanisms for funding programmes to fight against the disease. He pointed out the need to reduce dependence on the Global Fund and the US Fund for fighting against HIV and Aids.
“I hope that Africa can produce its own drugs,” the UNAids executive director said and at the same time revealed that 90 percent of the drugs used in Africa for the treatment of HIV and Aids comes from India, whereas the drugs business can also present a better economic sector.
“We have to start producing these drugs so that we can position ourselves in the market on long term basis,” Sidibe said while deploring the fact that between 90 to 95 percent of research in development is done outside the African continent.
Efforts in the fight against Aids have produced satisfactory results with the reduction of transmission from mother to child and the increase of the number of people on treatment from 50 000 in 2005 to over 6 million today. He noted that although these statistics showed some progress, the progress was still “fragile.”
He at the same time noted that the number of deaths due to HIV and Aids have reduced by 600 000 annually. — Xinhua.