Deputy Speaker, the issue that the hon member is referring to about the patent cliff is just one
possible advantage you can get in terms of manufacturing of new medicines in the form of generics and also with less restriction.
What is the issue which the hon member is referring to which is a difference between us and India, is that the high cost of medicines is actually controlled by what is called the Active pharmaceutical ingredients. In the countries that manufacture their own or often the state is an investor in some of those instances, then they can control the price of medicine because the cost of those very particular molecules is actually within their capacity to control. But if you have to export it to other countries you can charge any amount that you want to charge. And, therefore, South Africa will always have that challenge until we are able to manufacture our own Active pharmaceutical ingredients. And this is an issue which I believe even the state should be able to be ready to go into as a state or even partner with private sector, just to ensure that the supply of these Active pharmaceutical ingredients is within the country so no one can actually hold us at ransom with high prices. That's what
happened in India, they have several of these pharmaceuticals that are doing that.
When it comes to the issue of traditional medicine, let me talk about just two aspects of it: the one area you're dealing with, you probably referring to the aloe vera aloeveric medicine, now, that is actually traditional medicine of a herbal origin coming from India. A lot of it is coming into South Africa because there are lots of clients who are using that. That area is largely accepted as they are from India but in South Africa we are still doing lots of research on herbal medication to look at the medicinal components of those medicines. And that is something that we have to invest a lot more going to the future so as to ensure the safety of all our people.
What is really a future that we need to invest in is how to convert all of those medicines which are from traditional base herbs to medicinal products that can be used? Like we do with all the various other medicines. [Time expired.] That is something that we have to work for the future. Thank you very much.