Indonesia will start producing oseltamivir (tamiflu), an anti-bird flu medicine, in an adequate amount this year in anticipation of the possibility of a further spread of the bird flu virus, a senior official said on Tuesday.
The drug would be produced in an adequate quantity so the country no longer needed to import it, Antara news agency quoted Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie as saying in Denpasar, the capital city of Bali province.
The minister made the statement after opening the Government of Indonesia Meeting with International Key Partners on Avian Influenza attended by 150 participants from 11 countries.
He hoped the production of the anti-bird flu medicine at home could be done well like producing generic medicines so that the price could be made as low as possible.
The pills would later be distributed to community health care centers across the country as well as to general hospitals in districts and provinces in anticipation of the possibility of a further spread of the disease.
The virus had so far affected 12 out of the country's 33 provinces, including the tourist island of Bali.
Bird flu has killed 85 people out of 106 affected persons in the country.
Source: Xinhua
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