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Published January 26, 2021 / Public health

The Lomé Initiative: Assessment and progress one year after its launch

20210126-Lome-balance sheet

On 22 January 2021, H.E. Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Togolese Republic, received in audience Mr. Richard Amalvy, Chief Executive of the Brazzaville Foundation who came to present the results and perspectives of the Lomé Initiative one year after its launch.

Caption (from left to right): Mr. Richard Amalvy, Chief Executive of the Brazzaville Foundation, Mr. Professor Moustafa Mijiyawa, Minister of Health and Public Hygiene of Togo, Ms. Fatoumata Binta Diallo, WHO Resident Representative in Togo, © Brazzaville Foundation.

The latter was present in Lomé, at the invitation of Professor Moustafa Mijiyawa, Minister of Health and Public Hygieneto provide an update on the implementation of theLomé Initiative in Togo; the political and technical coordination of the initiative at the level of the six signatory countries; the prospects of programme in terms of content and partnerships. The visit also allowed a fruitful exchange with the representative of theWHO in TogoMs. Fatoumata Binta Diallo, and her team.

Caption: Interview with Richard Amalvy, CEO of the Brazzaville Foundation, at COP27, © Voice of the Environment.

An unprecedented initiative

On Saturday, January 18, 2020, the Lomé Initiative, developed by Brazzaville Foundation, was officially launched by H.E. Faure Gnassingbé, President of Togo; H.E. Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda; H.E. Macky Sall, President of Senegal, as well as by representatives of H.E. Denis Sassou N'guesso, President of the Republic of Congo; H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana; and H.E. Mahamadou Issoufou, President of the Republic of Niger.

 

The summit concluded with the signing ofa political declaration committing states to fight against trafficking of falsified and substandard medicines (FSM), to ratify existing international agreements and to introduce new criminal sanctions against traffickers. "This is the first time that we, Africans, tackle ourselves the problem of fake medicines, a scourge of which our continent is the first victim and whose consequences are dramatic for our populations. Africa must commit itself to the fight against this deadly trafficking ," observed President Faure Gnassingbé at the end of the summit.

 

Brazzaville Foundation" Brazzaville Foundation is extremely proud to have launched this initiative; we thank the Heads of State and signatory countries for their long-term commitment," said Jean-Yves Ollivier, Founding Chairman .

The progress of the initiative

Since the Summit, the various Ministries of Health have been mobilized by the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. This mobilisation has been the subject of national plans involving several ministerial departments. The approach used to develop these plans may be the same as for the design and implementation of national plans for the fight against FSM. The health crisis has the potential to be exacerbated by the spread of falsified pharmaceutical products (anti-malarials, tests, vaccines), which calls for even greater urgency in implementing the contents of the draft Framework Agreement.

 

At the request of the signatory states, the Foundation conducted a legislative audit to identify legislative gaps and make recommendations for improvement at the national level andharmonisation at the international level. The audit was conducted during the year 2020. The health situation related to Covid-19 did not allow for the implementation of feedback seminars that will take place, at the national level, during the first half of 2021.

 

Research was also conducted in July to identify gaps in the pharmaceutical supply chain. The effects of corruption on the supply chain require action involving several ministerial departments within countries and the strengthening of international cooperation. The work carried out shows that while the problem of combating counterfeit medicines is a public health issue, it also concerns justice and the rule of law at the national and regional levels. It appears that the elaboration of national plans to fight against trafficking of fake medicines including new legal instruments is the next step for the committed states.

 

In 2020, the parties involved agreed not to duplicate but to support existing relevant international agreements and the ratification of the African Medicines Agency, as well as to encourage other African states to join this initiative. To this end, on December 2, 2020, Professor Moustafa Mijiyawa and Mr. Richard Amalvy, Chief Executive of the Foundation, were heard at the third plenary meeting of the Committee of the Parties to the MEDICRIME Convention of the Council of Europe. Togo, Senegal and the Republic of Congo are expected to sign this international agreement soon.

 

In 2021, the Brazzaville Foundation will continue to provide technical support to public health departments.

 

From February to April, the Minister of Health of Togo and Chief Executive will undertake a series of coordination visits to the Ministers of Health of the signatory countries in order to strengthen common resources.

Caption: Meeting between Prof. Moustafa Mijiyawa, Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene of Togo, Mrs. Fatoumata Binta Diallo, representative of WHO Togo and her team, and Richard Amalvy, Chief Executive of the Brazzaville Foundation, © Brazzaville Foundation.