Indonesia, Madagascar discuss medicine trade

Indonesia, Madagascar discuss medicine trade

CIBITUNG, West Java (JP): Indonesia has expressed its
readiness to export generic medicines to Madagascar.

Director General for Drug and Food Control Wisnu Katim said
here yesterday that Indonesia already exports medicines to
countries such as Myanmar, Sudan and Vietnam. Indonesia exported
US$440,000 worth of medicines to Sudan in 1994.

Wisnu said that Madagascar has yet to make an official request
but said that an export agreement is a possibility. Wisnu and
Minister of Health Sujudi were accompanying President of
Madagascar Zafy Albert during his visit to the state-run
pharmaceutical company PT Indofarma.

Zafy said his country is rich in raw materials for medicines.
However, he said, the materials are often taken to other
countries where they are made into medicines and sold back to
Madagascar at higher prices.

"It's difficult to find medicines at affordable prices,"
Albert said.

Despite government denials, drug prices in Indonesia are said
to be among the highest in the Asia-Pacific region because of the
country's reliance on imported raw materials.

The annual per capita consumption of medicine in Indonesia, at
$5 a person, is the lowest in the region, compared with $14 in
the Philippines, $12 in Malaysia, $42 in Singapore and $13 in
Thailand.

The country's total sales of medicine in 1994 were only US$900
million, compared with $1.4 billion in Taiwan and $925 million in
the Philippines. (31)