At a time when the health activists groups and the Indian pharma industry appealing the Kenyan government to have re-look into its new anti-counterfeit law, the Kenyan Minister for Public Health and Sanitation has sought Indian co-operation for making affordable diabetes test kits available to the country, it is learnt.

During a recent meeting with the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil), the organisation under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Kenyan minister for Public Health Minister and Sanitation, Beth Wambui Mugo, has expressed the country's interest to import diabetes testing kits from India for the patients in the country.

The Pharmexcil may soon identify manufacturers of quality diabetes test kits in the country and will open a channel for communication between the companies and the Kenyan government, according to a higher official from the Council.

"Pharmexcil is not a body to assign a company to supply its products to any country. Since the minister has asked for our co-operation, we will support the Kenyan government to find out good kit suppliers from India," said Dr P V Appaji, executive director, Pharmexcil. The Council was leading a delegation of pharma manufacturers and traders to Kenya as part of its project to build Indian pharma brand in overseas nations.

In the meeting, the Council has appealed the minister to have a re-look into the anti-counterfeiting law to allow genuine generic medicines to the country. It has urged the minister that the law would affect the availability of low cost, quality medicines especially for treating disease like HIV for the population in Kenya.

"We have met the minister in his chamber and had a discussion on various issues including the anti-counterfeiting law. The minister payed heed to our request and responded that the issue will be considered," said Dr Appaji.

During the visit, the reknowned patent expert Dr Gopakumar Nair and the commissioner with the Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) - who were part of the delegation - explained the patent related issues and latest policy and regulatory status of India to build confidence in pharmacists and the pharma industry in Nairobi.

The new anti-counterfeit law says, that counterfeiting means taking the following actions without the authority of the owner of intellectual property right subsisting in Kenya or elsewhere in respect of protected goods. Various patient groups and the Kenyan chapter of Health Action International (HAI) has raised their concerns over the amendment, on apprehension that it may restrict the affordable generic medicines to the country.