FDB Slams Alcoholic Ads

CHIEF EXECUTIVE of the Food and Drugs Board (FDB), Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarku has stated that the control of product promotions and advertisement of alcoholic bitters in the media due to the proliferation of the airwaves remains a major challenge facing his outfit.

He said the Board would continue to dialogue with stakeholders in the communication industry and take stiffer regulatory measures to ensure public safety.

Mr Agyarko therefore called for a speedy passage of the Food and Drugs Bill to enable his outfit deal effectively with the rapidly changing trends in the regulatory process.

He noted that the current PNDC 305B law which was passed 15 years ago had been overtaken by changing trends brought about by technologies and globalization, adding, “Any further delay in the passage of the Bill will greatly hamper regulatory processes.”

Mr Agyarku made the appeal at a press conference in Accra to officially launch the 10th anniversary of the Food and Dugs Board which was on the theme, “Championing Excellence, Safeguarding Public Health and Safety.”

He said the Bill when passed, would be able to deal with issues pertaining to good manufacturing practice and other overlapping functions between the Food and Drugs Board and the Ghana Standards Board.

He observed that the Food and Drugs Board, since its inception, had sustained the decentralization process with the aim of extending its services to all the 10 regions, stressing that the Board's performance in the area of regulation of medicines had been ranked by the World Health Organization as being among the best in the Sub-Sahara Africa.

Mr. Agyarku pointed out that the Food and Drugs Board had made tremendous strides in the area of quality control testing of medicines and other products, maintaining that the development and promotion of herbal medicines had witnessed a phenomenal boost within the past 10 years.

He explained that the low remuneration of the 230 members of staff of the Board remained another major challenge.

The Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Abraham Dwuma Odum said there could be no meaningful industrial development and promotion of trade without standardization, adding that the Food and Drugs Board had a big role to play on issues relating to the country's quest for industrial growth and export trade.

Mr Odum pledged Government's continued support to the Food and Drugs Board to ensure that the Board was adequately resourced to undertake key regulatory functions and activities.