Australia is set to begin manufacturing a number of life-saving medicines used to treat kidney disease and cancer. Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, said in a statement on April 3 that making crucial medicines domestically secures Australian access to treatment, increases local jobs and develops the nation’s skills, reported AAP. “The pandemic has shown us more than ever before we need access to what Australians need here at home, and this project will help ensure we have critical precision medicines for our patients,” Morrison said. “Building up our ability to make products like these is key to our plan for a stronger future.” At present, Australia imports 90 percent of its medicine. The COVID-19 pandemic, which severely affected global supply chains, has shown Australia that heavily relying on imports becomes inadequate during times of global crisis. The need for domestic manufacturing of medicine was stated back in 2021 by the Australian …