Securing a job is difficult in Malawi as Labour Minister Yunus Mussa said only 500,000 (4 per 100 people in the over 13 million population) are employed in the country.

Shawa said in 2009 President Bingu wa Mutharika directed that she and her team should do everything possible to enable Malawi start manufacturing its own Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs within the country.

“We have been trying left and right but to no avail yet if we are given a chance to manufacture drugs within the country over 4,000 Malawians could secure jobs at the drugs manufacturing plant,” she said recently in Lilongwe during the assessment of National Coordination of HIV and AIDS Response.

Shawa further said if Malawi is allowed to manufacture ARVs the government could as well save the much needed forex.

“Presently, ARVs are draining the much needed forex because we have to purchasing these drugs from countries as far as India using forex. Malawi has a business for the drugs while some firms have a merchandize so let them come to manufacture these drugs within the country,” said Shawa.

She further said that if Malawi could be allowed to manufacture ARVs it would relieve Malawi Government and PLHAs from stress.

“Currently, at least 1.2 million people are living with HIV and AIDS but 326, 440 are on ARV treatment and 80 percent of these people are still alive and on ARV treatment,” said Shawa adding that when the life prolonging drugs run low PLHAs and authorities get stressed.

She further appealed to donors to give Malawi $60 million to enable PLHAs access ARVs to replace the drugs they are taking presently as they were having some side effects on the patients.

“As a country, we have registered several successes in the fight against HIV and AIDS due to a combination of nutrition and treatment. But we still need support from donors because the pandemic is still with us,” said Shawa.

UNDP Resident Representative Richard Dictus said Malawi has been succeeding in the fight against HIV and AIDS because there have been strong coordination by all stakeholders involved in the fight against the pandemic.

“Malawi is one of the success stories in having functional systems and coordination mechanisms for the management of the HIV and AIDS national response. This has been due to strong national political commitment and support from development partners that the response has enjoyed over the years. The results have been phenomenal, with HIV prevalence declining from 24 percent in 1998 to 12 percent in 2010,” said Dictus.

He disclosed that Malawi is one of the five examples of good practice and success in national AIDS coordination including Tanzania, El Salvador, India and Indonesia.

“Malawi has made progress in harmonising and aligning development partner activities with the National AIDS Framework (NAF) and its strategic priorities,” said Dictus.

He further said partnership arrangements were put in place, in particular the pooled donor group (with Global Fund membership), the wider donor partnership represented by the HIV and AIDS Development Group (HADG) and the Malawi Partnership Forum.