Teach a Man to Make Drugs: Pharmaceutical Companies Invest in African Generic Drug Plant

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Business Week reports that India's Cipla corporation in conjunction with Quality Chemicals Industries Ltd., a Ugandan pharmaceuticals manufacturer, is planning an $80 million expansion to their current operations in Uganda. This expansion will expand their capacity to produce generic AIDS and malaria medication:

The East African nation has about 442,000 people in need of generic AIDS drugs and only 218,900 have access to the treatment because of financial constraints, Uganda AIDSs Commission data shows. Quality Chemicals’ plant in Kampala has the capacity to produce 6 million malaria or generic AIDS tablets daily, with room for expansion, according to the company.

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According to the World Health Organization, the number of people infected with HIV in Uganda has increased from 6.1 percent five years ago to 7.1 percent of the population today. The increase in productive capacity in Kampala has the ability to help millions in need of vital medication.

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