Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has welcomed the launch of the National Action Plan, which seeks to ensure that the negative impact of substandard and falsified medical products (SFMP), vaccines, and other illicit health products are addressed.

Motsoaledi led South Africa’s launch of its National Action Plan (NAP), which has been made possible with help from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAPHRA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), during a launch event held in Kempton Park on Tuesday.

It is reported that substandard and falsified medical products (SFMP) continue to flood the South African and other markets, raising substantial public health concerns in the process. 

During his address to delegates gathered at the OR Tambo International Airport’s Protea Hotel, Motsoaledi reaffirmed his department’s dedication to ensuring all medicines, vaccines, and health products meet top standards of safety, effectiveness, and quality.

“Substandard and falsified medical products are a threat to individual lives and the integrity of health systems globally. As we launch the National Action Plan against falsified and substandard medical products, we reaffirm our commitment as the department to ensuring that every medicine, every vaccine, and every health product available to our people is safe, effective, and of the highest degree of quality,” the minister stated.

Motsoaledi stated that after the pilot programme, it is hoped this plan will enhance prevention, detection, and response efforts through coordinated multi-sector action, guided by the National Action Plan draft Handbook developed by the WHO.

“This has been a year-long journey, and I am delighted to officially launch this developed National Action Plan today. The purpose of this launch is to officially present the developed five-year National Action Plan on combating substandard and falsified medical products… Through this bold initiative, South Africa is positioned among the first countries globally to operationalise a comprehensive strategy against SFMP.” 

Speaking on behalf of SAPHRA, Tammy Gopal indicated that for the NAP to succeed, various methods of holding those responsible for substandard and falsified medicines in the formal market must be used, adding that as the country’s regulatory authority, SAPHRA conducts visits to pharmacies and other traders.

“This programme will definitely give legs to this task. I think the next step is that each of the stakeholders in the NAP has a role to play. As SAPHRA, we have our activities for the next three to five years.  We are increasing sampling in the market, where we pull up product samples, and we test. This is what we call post-surveillance. By doing that, we can identify falsified standards. We also conduct unannounced visits and we have inspectors in the room, who are at the coal face of these operations,” she said.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za

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