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Published April 05, 2023 / Public health

Falsified medicines: the challenges of regulatory harmonisation and pharmacovigilance

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Lomé, 5 April 2023 - At the invitation of the French Pharmaceutical Companies Association (LEEM), the Togolese capital brought together directors of pharmacy and regulatory agencies from French-speaking African countries for a two-day seminar. This annual meeting allows for coordination and improvement of practices in the member countries of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).

Meeting of Directors of Pharmacy and Directors of Regulatory Agencies of French-speaking African countries on 5 April in Lomé, © Brazzaville Foundation.

The agenda was promising. It focused on the issues of regulatory harmonisation and the improvement of pharmacovigilance processes. The sixty or so participants were also able to discuss the processes for the approval of pharmaceutical products and the collaborative procedures for the registration of these products.

 

At the opening ceremony, participants were welcomed by Mr. Laurent Gainza, Director of Public Affairs of the LEEM, and heard successively the French Ambassador to Togo, Mr. Augustin Favereau, who recalled the call, launched in October 2009, by Jacques Chirac during a meeting of his foundation in Cotonou. Ms. Mamessilé Aklah Agba-Assih, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Health, in charge of Universal Access to Health Care, officially opened the meeting by insisting on "the need for inter-African solidarity", in particular "to accelerate the vast project of pharmaceutical production in the regional economic communities".

 

The meeting was enriched by the expertise of Dr. Carmelle Hounnou, Coordinator of the UEMOA Subregional Programme for the Harmonisation of National Pharmaceutical Policies and Dr. Bernard-Aimé Djitafoh-Fah, Coordinator of the CEMAC sub-regional programme for the harmonisation of national pharmaceutical policies. Dr. Ntumba from DRC, Dr. Yerima from Togo, Dr. Ndiaye Ndao from Senegal, and Dr. Douhe Bah from Guinea Conakry, presented the progress made in their countries. As far as Guinea is concerned, it is a spectacular operation that allowed the sequestration of more than 200 containers seised in the port of Conakry.

 

The first day was moderated by Mr. Serge Antoine Amari, professor of pharmaceutical law and ethics. The second day was entrusted to Mr. Richard Amalvy, Chief Executive of the Brazzaville Foundation who invited the participants to reflect on the problematic linked to the sale and purchase of fake medicines, to the harmonised legislation at national, sub-regional and continental levels, and to the dialogue between public authorities and pharmaceutical industry.

 

The seminar concluded with a presentation of the health caravan proposed by the Chief Executive of "Santé en Entreprise", Érick Maville, and with a presentation by the OIGH, which is the delegate for management control of public hospitals in Togo. Its Director, Dominique Cazalens, completed the technical data given the day before by the Minister of Health, Professor Mijiyawa by presenting the impact of management control on the improvement of the pharmaceutical supply chain in the public health sector.

 

Before the Minister returned to officially close the meeting, Dr Karim Bendhaou, President of Merck Africa and Chairman of IFPMA's Africa Committee, praised the quality of the exchanges and the various contributions, particularly those concerning the fight against falsified and substandard medicines.

 

Read the article published by Togo Presse Magazine on April 7, 2023.