Zimbabwe's govt pledges to back local medicine production

The government of Zimbabwe is set to support the production of medical drugs locally in the next three years with a view to improving availability and affordability instead of relying on imports, the Short Term Emergency Recovery Pro-gramme two (STERP II) has indicated, reported the local newspaper The Herald.

According to the 2010-12 STERP II, this support would go a long way toward reducing costs of health care and its services. In order to make health care affordable, the government says it will support low-cost local production of drugs and other competitive supply arrangements which reduce the costs of medical care services."

Reliance on medical aid societies would also be of paramount significance as the government addresses challenges of emergency and unexpected financial burdens on patients. Although STERP 1 emphasizes improving drug supply and affordability, challenges still remain as Government failed to meet its target of drugs supply.