ARV MAKERS IN ZIMBABWE SEEK WHO CERTIFICATION

Zimbabwean antiretroviral (ARV) drug manufacturers are seeking certification from the World Health Organization (WHO) to receive funding from the UN to produce more affordable HIV drugs, according to media reports.

According to the country's National AIDS Council (NAC), 600,000 HIV patients in Zimbabwe still need treatment. NAC officials also that Zimbabwe's AIDS levy, which aims to raise money for HIV/AIDS programs, has yielded roughly $1.7 million since the NAC was created in 1999.

But the country's ARV program was only able to provide treatment for 32,000 people, instead of 60,000 as planned, in 2005. The capacity of local drug manufacturers to produce antiretrovirals is limited because many local manufacturers that are not certified by the WHO are not receiving NAC funding.