NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Monday, March 10, 2014

Stressing that India’s pharmaceutical technology was appropriate for Africa, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said India is committed to making available to developing countries newer generation life-saving drugs also.

“Eightyseven developing countries, their entire health care system is supported by Indian medicines, and we’re committed to ensure that even the new generation of life-saving drugs, the Indian pharmaceutical industry will make, are available to our people and people of developing countries,” Sharma said here at Sunday evening’s inauguration of the 10th CII-Exim Bank conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership.

Describing India as a leader in the production of finished generics, Sharma told the gathering, which included ministers from many African countries, how the arrival of Indian generic drugs has changed the global discourse on anti-retrovirals (ARVs) for the treatment of HIV-AIDS rampant in Africa.