Kenya intends to produce HIV antiretroviral (ARV) medications for domestic and international markets, subject to regulatory agencies’ clearance.
According to Patrick Amoth, Director General for Health, the nation is looking for additional financing sources to help pay the project.
The action comes after US President Donald Trump recently announced a 90-day halt to US-funded international aid, which may have an effect on important initiatives like the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Currently, 37% of Kenya’s HIV program financing comes from the initiative. “We have a local manufacturing plant for ARV’s but we need approvals to work with the regulatory bodies so that we can also be able to manufacture not only for one country but globally,” said Dr. Amoth.
“Local production of necessary medications, like as ARVs, continues to be a top goal even as we expand on current capabilities.
Health Cabinet Secretary Dr. Deborah Barasa stated on X that “achieving Maturity Level 3 stability is crucial for our country to enhance the exportation of locally manufactured health products and technologies.”
This includes more than 71,000 children under the age of 14, 487,000 males, and almost 890,000 females as of 2024, according to the National Syndemic Disease Control Council. Nowadays, antiretroviral medication is administered to 97% of people with HIV who are officially registered, and 94% of them experience viral suppression.
The nation continues to be heavily dependent on foreign funding.
PEPFAR was the biggest donor to Kenya’s HIV program, which received about 63.5% of its financing from outside sources.
Plans for a manufacturing unit to treat 300,000 individuals and cut the nation’s yearly HIV drug budget from Sh38 billion were announced by the government in 2019. The ministry stated that domestic production would lessen dependency on imports, but it did not specify how much this would save taxpayers.
With intentions to export to 23 African states, the plant was also intended to develop medications for tuberculosis and malaria.
