Zimbabwe plans to help local drug companies make more medicines. The government wants to cut costs and reduce buying expensive drugs from other countries. Officials announced new money programs to support factories that make pills and treatments. They will remove taxes on medicine products and build labs to test drugs locally. Sugar taxes will provide extra cash for important medicine production.
The country spends 220 million dollars each year buying medicines from abroad. Leaders want to cut that amount to 100 million dollars next year. Local companies currently make only 36 percent of needed medicines but the goal reaches 60 percent soon. More factories opened recently and drug production doubled since 2020.
The medicine industry grew fast after the government started helping in 2020. Companies used only 12 percent of their equipment before but jumped to 51 percent today. Factory owners hired more workers and bought better machines. World health experts praised Zimbabwe for improving drug safety rules and testing methods.
The country spends 220 million dollars each year buying medicines from abroad. Leaders want to cut that amount to 100 million dollars next year. Local companies currently make only 36 percent of needed medicines but the goal reaches 60 percent soon. More factories opened recently and drug production doubled since 2020.
The medicine industry grew fast after the government started helping in 2020. Companies used only 12 percent of their equipment before but jumped to 51 percent today. Factory owners hired more workers and bought better machines. World health experts praised Zimbabwe for improving drug safety rules and testing methods.
