$27 Million Drugs Complex Opens In The Sudan

Shifra, the Sudanese pharmaceutical company, has opened a $27 millionhuman and animal drug manufacturing plant north of Khartoum, the capital.

According to the PANA news service, the four-building complex will make 60 different types of medicines, with the emphasis on anti-tuberculosis drugs. The plant will also be used for distilling and purifying water. Suleiman Osman, Shifra's managing director, said that 60% of the plant's production will be exported, with the remainder being consumed locally.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Health Ihsan el Ghabshawi said he hoped that production at the complex would supply the country with 70% of its drug needs. The Sudan still has a very low per capita rate of medicines available, estimated at $2.50 per person by Baddr Eddin Suleiman, Minister of Industry, who pointed out that the World Health Organization's requirement is $12 per year.