An autonomous agency to strengthen the safety and quality of medicines

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Extract from the article: The Togolese government has established an autonomous national agency responsible for regulating, supervising and monitoring the medicines and other health products sector, with the aim of strengthening the safety and quality of products available on

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The Togolese government has established an autonomous national agency responsible for regulating, supervising and monitoring the medicines and other health products sector, with the aim of strengthening the safety and quality of products available on the market.

The decree establishing the new agency was adopted on Monday, September 7, by the Council of Ministers. The reform comes amid the expansion of the medicines market and the diversification of products and stakeholders involved in the supply and distribution chain. However, the national regulatory system continues to face institutional, technical and operational challenges, particularly in quality control, inspection, market surveillance and pharmacovigilance.

The growth of the illicit market and the circulation of substandard or falsified medicines and other health products also pose significant risks to public health, according to the Council of Ministers' statement. In Africa, between 30% and 60% of medicines placed on the market are reportedly counterfeit and originate mainly from China and India, according to health experts.

The decree adopted by the government therefore represents an important step in reforming the national regulatory system, through the creation of an autonomous National Agency responsible for the “regulation, supervision and monitoring of the medicines and other health products sector,” according to an official statement.

The new agency will notably be tasked with strengthening market surveillance, pharmaceutical inspections, vigilance mechanisms and quality control of health products. It will also promote better coordination among the various stakeholders in the sector. “This agency will contribute to strengthening market surveillance, pharmaceutical inspections, vigilance mechanisms and quality control of health products, while promoting better coordination of interventions by the various stakeholders in the sector,” the statement said.

Through this reform, the government also aims to strengthen pharmaceutical sector governance and health security, while ensuring that the population has better access to quality, safe and effective medicines and other health products. The creation of the agency is also expected to contribute to the development of domestic pharmaceutical production and the consolidation of Togo’s health sovereignty.

The trafficking of counterfeit medicines is responsible for more than 100,000 deaths every year in Africa, according to the World Health Organization. In January 2020, Togo hosted a summit to combat the trafficking of counterfeit medicines, which resulted in “the establishment of structures and the adoption of laws to curb the phenomenon and criminalize the various forms of trafficking.”

Togo was one of the pioneering countries in amending its Penal Code as early as 2015. Traffickers now face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of 50 million CFA francs (approximately 76,200 euros).

Jean ELI (Source: savoirnews)