The National Assembly committed to the fight against falsified medicines

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Extract from the article: The National Assembly, in collaboration with the Fondation Brazzaville, leader of the Lomé Initiative on falsified medical products, and the Togolese State, political leader, represented by the Ministry of Health, organized an information and communi

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The National Assembly, in collaboration with the Fondation Brazzaville, leader of the Lomé Initiative on falsified medical products, and the Togolese State, political leader, represented by the Ministry of Health, organized an information and communication seminar for representatives of the people on the fight against the proliferation of substandard and falsified medical products (PMQIF) on June 24 and 25.

The seminar, which brought together MPs, public health experts, representatives from the pharmaceutical sector and technical and financial partners, aims to strengthen the involvement of parliamentarians in the fight against this phenomenon, which threatens the health and safety of the Togolese population.

The aim of the session was to raise parliamentarians' awareness of the health risks posed by this major public health problem, to examine national efforts to counter this threat, and to explore the opportunities offered by the Lomé Initiative. Discussions also covered the current state of the proliferation of counterfeit medicines in Togo, Africa and worldwide, strategies to combat PMQIF, Togo's progress in implementing solutions, and prospects for the national pharmaceutical regulatory system.

Opening the meeting, the President of the National Assembly, Sevon Tépé Adédzé, urged MPs to understand that the fight against these substandard and falsified medical products is a national priority because of their considerable impact on the population: "Together, we have the power to secure the pharmaceutical supply chains, educate the population, and establish an implacable legal framework against counterfeiters. This seminar is a call to awaken consciences, a cry for us legislators to become bulwarks against this injustice... let's think about building a future where no child loses his or her life because of a falsified medicine. Every citizen, regardless of income level, has the right to access safe and effective medicines".

For his part, the Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, Pr Tchin Darré, praised the commitment of the MPs and recalled that these exchanges must lead to concrete measures to guarantee access to safe, quality and affordable medicines, essential to the success of universal health coverage. "This seminar offers the health sector an opportunity to report on the activities carried out under this initiative, to respond to the concerns of the people's representatives, and to promote a better understanding of the issues at stake in order to better serve our populations. It's also an opportunity to advocate the adoption of pending bills aimed at strengthening our legal arsenal in the fight against this illicit traffic", he points out.

 A major public health challenge

Experts at the seminar drew up an alarming overview of the situation. They indicated that in Africa, almost one in five medicines is either counterfeit or of inferior quality and therefore non-compliant, posing a major risk to the continent's fragile public health system.

“Trafficking in substandard and falsified medicines represents a serious threat to our States, compromising access to quality healthcare and depriving populations of essential, safe and affordable medicines”, said Pr Tchin Darré. He noted that in the absence of an appropriate legal framework for the prevention and repression of offences linked to the counterfeiting of medical products, it is not only our health system but above all universal health coverage that is threatened.

The Director of the Fondation Brazzaville Foulo Basse, mentioned that counterfeit medicines constitute a social, societal and economic challenge which requires, among other things, the strengthening of pharmaceutical law and penal sanctions against traffickers in falsified medicines. He stressed the need to strengthen local drug production and training in technological and technical innovations, and to train pharmacists and doctors. He also added that the Brazzaville Foundation and the Togolese State have decided to launch a university chain at the Sorbonne to train young Africans and support them in scientific research at doctoral level.

During the discussions, the parliamentarians stressed the importance of considering effective mechanisms to counter this threat. They also stressed the need to assess national pharmaceutical production capacities and explore the potential of traditional pharmacopoeia. Some suggested the creation of a research center dedicated to traditional medicines.

On January 18, 2020, Togo hosted the launch of the Lomé Initiative, an international agreement that was given concrete form by a political declaration aimed at two major objectives: firstly, the strengthening of national legislation through the introduction of severe criminal sanctions, and secondly, accession to the relevant international legal instruments, notably the Council of Europe's MEDICRIME Convention, the United Nations Palermo Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and the treaty establishing the African Medicines Agency.

William O.