Let’s Stop Importing Solutions From Abroad

24 April 2011

editorial

Nairobi — Today, Kenya and the rest of the world take stock of the progress so far made in reducing malaria illnesses and deaths. It is also a time to rethink strategies that work in fighting the killer disease, discard those which don’t and strengthen the most effective.

Kenya and several other countries have almost reached the half-way point with statistics indicating a general malaria death reduction of about 50 per cent. This is definitely a commendable feat, and if the momentum is maintained, the country could well be on target in attaining the ambitious goal of eradicating the disease by 2017.

Malaria programme managers know only too well the magnitude of the work ahead and the huge resources required to meet these worthwhile targets.

Last week, the minister for Public Health and Sanitation, Mrs Beth Mugo, challenged the Exchequer to double the financial allocation for the sector to accelerate the war against malaria.

While this is desirable, it may not be possible with the huge budgetary implications of implementing the new Constitution and financing a widening food deficit.

Faced with these realities, health economists must move from consumptive-only financing towards systems that create own wealth.

In a very short time, India and Brazil just did this, thus becoming major producers and exporters of generic medicines that have made huge differences both at home and abroad.

Kenya has a reasonably advanced pharmaceutical sector, while there exists a wealth of basic medical research, which can be turned into services and products, with a little push from government.

While we welcome the largely imported malaria control solutions, meaningful sustainability will only come from home-grown innovations.

In becoming giants of the generics medicines, India and Brazil did not re-invent the wheel, but mainly took advantage of information available.

AllAfrica – All the Time