KAMPALA, Oct. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Uganda is to build a 15-million-US dollar Anti-Retroviral Drugs (ARVs) factory to enable people with HIV/AIDS access the drugs, local media reported on Wednesday.

    An agreement to build the AIDS drug plant was signed recently between Quality Chemicals Ltd, a company in Uganda and CIPLA, an Indian drug manufacturing company.

    Ugandan Minister of State for Health Mike Mukula said at the ceremony that once the factory is built, Uganda will be able to manufacture ARVs and anti-malaria drugs in bulk, adding that this will reduce deaths related to such diseases.

    He also said that the drug factory will enable the government to save funds it has been using to import the required medicine.

    Ugandan Vice President Gilbert Bukenya hailed the CIPLA for accepting to invest in Uganda, saying that "we want to ensure thatUganda can manufacture quality drugs and we can able to export these drugs to Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda to boost our income."

    CIPLA started manufacturing ARVs in 1985.

    About 60,000 Ugandans are currently using ARVs to treatment HIV/AIDS. Enditem