ACCRA (Reuters) - Ghana plans to begin producing its own generic versions of drugs for managing HIV/AIDS, so sufferers in the poor West African country can afford them, a government minister said.

``We're negotiating with the WHO (World Health Organisation) and the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand to map out how to begin production of antiretroviral drugs,'' outgoing Ghanaian health minister Richard Anane said on Thursday.

``The government will support local manufacturers to produce the drugs,'' said Anane, speaking at a ceremony to mark his switch from the health department to the transport ministry.

HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 25 million people are affected. Only a tiny minority have access to or can afford the life-prolonging drugs and medicines to treat AIDS-related diseases routinely used in the West.

South Africa, which has more people with HIV/AIDS than any other country, this year won a landmark court case against 39 of the world's most powerful drug firms over the right to import cheaper versions of branded AIDS drugs and other medicines.

Thanks to a nationwide educational campaign about the disease, the HIV/AIDS infection rate in Ghana fell to 3.6% last year from 4.6% a year earlier, Anane said.

Ghana's infection rate is higher than in most Asian countries but lower than in some other African nations such as Botswana, where one third of adults are HIV positive.

The World Bank has given Ghana $1 million to buy antiretroviral drugs and the country has negotiated a deal to buy drugs for just under $30 from an unnamed international drug company, which normally sells them for $700.

``This is still too high for most ordinary Ghanaians to afford, which is what has made it necessary for us to strive to manufacture them locally,'' said Anane, adding that public health officials from Thailand had visited drug companies in Ghana.

``And they were satisfied and indeed have confirmed that the companies have the ability to produce the drugs,'' he said. He did not say how soon local manufacture of the drugs would start.

Annual per capita income in Ghana, the world's second biggest cocoa producer, is just under $390.