The Facts
The Indian drug company Cipla has confirmed that an affordable generic version of its HIV drug cabotegravir (CAB-LA) will be manufactured in South Africa for the first time. The twice-monthly jab is expected to lower the risk of contraction for millions of at-risk Africans.
The announcement comes a year after the UN's Unitaid announced the rollout of an HIV-prevention injection pilot program to provide long-lasting protection to transgender communities in Brazil and to young girls and women in South Africa.
The Spin
Narrative A
In the current upside-down world we live in, poor African countries pay up to 30 times the amount for lifesaving medicine than wealthy nations like the US and UK. This is in part due to the continent's history of purchasing new drugs instead of repurposed ones, but that doesn't mean international bodies can't step in to help. To avoid corrupt price gauging, the global community must cooperate with the aim of providing the best medicines at the lowest cost for poor to medium-income nations.
Narrative B
The COVID pandemic showed how dangerous relying on other countries for medical aid can be, which is why Africa needs a new public health order. Alongside its increased vulnerability from a lack of funding and purchasing power, it also faces hoarding of vital medications by wealthy nations and growing vaccine nationalism. Africa must strengthen public health institutions, increase investments in its healthcare, and prioritize training for the next generation of healthcare workers.
