Vietnam Looks To Expand Antibiotics

Health authorities in Vietnam have called for an expansion of thecountry's small antibiotics production sector, as infectious diseases now account for 30% of all patients in the country's hospitals, according to the Vietnam News.

Figures from Vietnam's Ministry of Public Health show the country consumes $500 million worth of pharmaceuticals a year, of which 40% is antibiotics. This figure is expected to rise to $1 billion in 2000, when Vietnam's population is forecast to reach 80 million. At a recent industry conference, Nguyen Trong De, director general of the Vietnam Pharmaceutical Corp, stressed the importance of self-sufficiency in antibiotic raw materials.