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Dr Parirenyatwa

Roselyne Sachiti in MELBOURNE, Australia
Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa yesterday met with representatives of an Indian drug manufacturer, Myland, which has shown interest in partnering Zimbabwean pharmaceutical companies to produce anti-retroviral drugs locally.In an interview with The Herald on the sidelines of the 20th International Aids Conference here soon after the meeting, Dr Parirenyatwa said they were still courting the manufacturer and if the deal sailed through, production of the drugs locally would have massive benefits for the country.

He could not reveal how much the investment would cost as discussions were still in their early stages.
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It will not only be an investment in manufacturing, but also an investment that will help sustain our people’s lives in terms of HIV and for the region,” he said.

Dr Parirenyatwa said they expected to first have local production of ARVs at a cheaper cost, before doing it for the region.

Most ARV drugs used in Zimbabwe are imported from India, Europe through the Global Fund.

Dr Parirenyatwa said that he held fruitful meetings with Global Fund executive director Mike Dybul and UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibe who are expected to visit the country in November.

“We are now saying, can we do more with the financing they are giving us,” he said.