Effective and reasonably priced drugs for treating malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis. Providing millions of people with relief from diarrhoea, worms and infection pain. Up to 2,4 billion pills each year to Africa and other parts of the world. Does it sound good?

Pentti Keskitalo from Finland established a pharmaceuticals plant near Nairobi with his Kenyan partners. Funding for the project was partially provided by the Finnish development finance company Finnfund. The plant produces high-quality generic drugs, which are helping to improve the lives of tens of millions of people in Kenya and in other African countries.

The plant has been granted preliminary approval by the World Health Organization WHO for its AIDS drug and it has also passed a quality inspection. This means that the drug can also be purchased by UNICEF and other UN organizations. The drugs made in the plant, which is no longer owned by Finnfund, are shipped to all parts of the world under the auspices of relief agencies. They are used in such places as Afghanistan, Haiti and Syria.

Photo: Matti Remes, graphics: Juho Hiilivirta