Indonesian President Susilio Bambang Yudhoyono has authorised government use of patents for seven HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B medicines.

This will allow local production of cheap, generic drugs to be available to the 186,000 people living with HIV in Indonesia.

Principal Fellow in Burnet’s Centre for International Health, Bruce Parnell says Indonesia is serious about making treatment available and sustainable.

“Expenditure on HIV prevention and treatment in Indonesia is currently $69 million a year, reducing cost of drugs would certainly help save some of this money,” Mr Parnell said.

See below to hear an interview with Mr Parnell on Phil Kafcaloudes program on Radio Australia.

For further information on the move by the Indonesian Government, follow the link to this article on the Jakarta Globe website.