A regional workshop to discuss on substandard/spurious/falsely labeled/falsified/counterfeit (SSFFC) medical products and to introduce participants – who will also serve as national focal points for SSFFC medicines control – to the WHO surveillance and monitoring system took place in Addis Ababa on 11-13 August 2015.

The workshop brought participants from 11 Anglophone African countries to deliberate and renew partnerships to create a network and fight together the negative impact of illicit medical products. 

In his opening remarks, Mr Bikila Bayisa, Deputy Director General of the Food, Medicine and Health Care Administration and Control Authority (FMHACA) said the SSFFC medicine trade is becoming more aggressive with 75 billion dollar worth and overtaking narcotic drugs, given the comparatively low risk of passing it around and the high income that it offers. Mr. Bikila added that his office, with the support of WHO, has conducted a national assessment and found a 7.8% prevalence of substandard medicines. He also reiterated that with the support of WHO and other partners, FMHACA has organized several sensitization forums in different parts of the country.

Dr. Pierre M’pele-Kilebou, WHO Representative to Ethiopia, said that the country office is working with FMHACA and promoting local production to make sure that people are getting drugs and essential medicines in line with WHO recommendation. Dr M’pele also recalled that further to the national assessment of on SSFFC, WHO is in the process of procuring minilabs for FMHACA to ease the detection of illicit medical products circulating in the Ethiopian markets and will continue to provide technical support to the Government of Ethiopia’s efforts to combat SFFC and increase availability of essential. medicines.

Mr Abraham Gebregiorgis, Coordinator of Essential Drugs and Medicines at WHO Ethiopia told journalists that there is a worldwide alert system on SSFFC, and that WHO aims to familiarize participants with this system, create a network and actively report back on any incidence of SFFC.

In July 2015, Ethiopia launched a 10 years national strategy and plan of action for the development of pharmaceutical manufacturing in Ethiopia that will contribute to the reduction of the vulnerability by improving availability of and access to essential medicines.

The workshop was organized with the financial support of the EU/ACP/WHO, RP Program.

For more information, please contact

Abraham Gebregiorgis
email:  gebregiorgisa [at] who.int

or

Biniyam Wubshet Fisseha
email: fissehab [at] who.int